May 12, 2025

Majestic Name

July 23, 2014 by

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
You have established strength because of Your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honour.
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands;
    You have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Majestic – characterized by or possessing majesty; of lofty dignity or imposing aspect; stately; grand.

‘Majestic’ does not seem to totally describe our Lord, does it?  I am not sure there is a word in our English language that would capture the essence of our heavenly Father.  I am sure that is why the name for God is Yahweh. It was once considered to be blasphemous to say ‘Yahweh’ so the original pronunciation was lost.

The God we serve, pray to, and worship is more than words could ever begin to describe.  He is a feeling, a spirit who surrounds us day-by-day, and moment by moment.  We can never know enough or believe enough.  That is why we have been given grace and mercy.  These two things fill the gap where our humanity fails.  Dear ones, God is magnificent. He reigns over all the world, it’s people, and the rest of the galaxies.

This make me feel small and in awe that God would take notice of us.  Especially when He is surrounded by angels.  But God felt a need to create man in His own image.  He created us for companionship—sweet fellowship with Him that would be like none other.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for caring for us. Thank You for loving us. We will never be able to live up to Jesus’ example, but we do strive to everyday. Sometimes we fail in such a big way…and sometimes we make the right decision.  Forgive us when we miss our target.  Help us to find our way to Your perfection.  Create in us a desire to serve You above all else in our lives.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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What Does God Think Of You?

July 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?

Psalms 8:3 and 4

Have you ever wondered how valuable you really are to the Almighty God?  When you truly understand His Majesty—how extraordinarily phenomenal He is—then fathoming how our God could find us worthy has the potential of being unimaginable.  The beauty of God is He loves us and His word says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins,” (1 John 4:10).  The Bible has much more to say on how important and worthy we are to Him.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “…for we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  We are handiwork…not sloppy work, not an afterthought of work…but His handiwork!  And He has good works for us.  God thought of us, planned our lives and, then, made sure we had purposes.

Matthew 10:30-31 says, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  God numbered the very hairs on our heads. Each one!  Every single one!  That’s far too detailed to be perceived as unworthy.

Psalms 139:13-16 says, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”  Worthy, worthy, worthy!  Oh, so very worthy.  Look at such the delicate detail taken on both you and I.  A God of majesty took all His majesty and used it to create us.

The last verse I have to show how important we are to God is Genesis 1:27.  This verse should leave no doubt in your mind that you are important to God.  This verse is at the very beginning of His love letter to us and it says, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”  In His own image.  Nothing says important like making one like you.

Are you valuable to God?  Do you know your worth in Him?  Do you believe you are worthy in His eyes?  Because you are!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, help me to see me like You see me. I pray that Your words be louder than those around me and that I never forget who I am to You. Amen.

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Caring Father

July 21, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?
For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psalms 8:4-5

This psalm expresses the amazing honor that God has for mankind. It shows that we as humans were purposely created. And God values us. We were created in His own image and He breathed into us making us living souls.

In Genesis 1, God honored us by making us to rule His creation but man failed God. However even when we failed He did not leave it like that. He went ahead to send the One Who was to come and die for us. He gave us His only Son Jesus to die on the Cross. A shameful death but He took it and paid the highest price for us. What a caring Father we have who doesn’t want His children to suffer…He loves us!

We are made as heavenly beings (which in this version it says “angels”). So we are angels here on earth and blessed people whose sins were paid for.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, we thank You for Your care, we appreciate Your love for we know You sincerely and deeply love us. Even though we were yet sinners Christ died for us and paid the price for us. Be glorified in all the earth! How excellent is Your name! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!

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Over All Things

July 20, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
As I was reading Psalm 8, I kept going back to verses 5 and 6:

Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.
You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority. (NLT)

Who does “them” refer to?  Looking back at verse 4 we see that “them” is mankind, mere mortals.  In other words…us.  Now, read those two verses again, but this time, substitute your name for the word “them.”  Did that just give you chills?  God made us—you and me—only a little lower than Himself.  He crowned us with glory and honor.  God put us in charge of EVERYTHING!  ALL things are under our authority (‘under our feet’ as some versions say).  There is no limit to “all things!”

Ah, Satan is already whispering doubts to you, isn’t he?  He would like nothing better than to convince you this authority, this dominion does not apply to you. But it does. Look at the following verses:

You have crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands,
For You have put everything in subjection under his feet.
Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He left nothing outside [of man’s] control.
Hebrews 2:7b-8a (AMP)

For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.”
1 Corinthians 15:27a (NLT)

We were created to have dominion over all things. Not some things but ALL things.  That is why it is such a tragedy when we are held in bondage by things of this world.

This authority was originally given to Adam and we still have the same authority because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. According to Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:

“The language is taken from the act of treading down the enemies in battle…The idea is that of complete and entire subjection.”

That makes us conquerors, right?  Yes!  As Romans 8:37 states “…in all these things we are more than conquerors….”  We have the power to be overwhelmingly victorious!  Think about that for a minute…God’s love for us is so great that He honors us by giving us dominion over ALL things!

Sisters, this is a precious gift we have been given.  One that the enemy does NOT want us to use.  Satan would like nothing more than to keep us oppressed—doubting that we have such authority.  The authority is ours, if we choose to receive it.  When we make that choice to receive that God-given authority, we give the glory and honor back to God.

Such great power.  Such great love.  It makes me ask, as David did, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”  Don’t give your God-given authority to the enemy.  Take it back. Then glorify the Lord as we sing, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your Name in all the earth!”

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for giving us such great honor and authority.  Teach us to accept the authority and use it in a manner that glorifies You so that the entire world will recognize just how majestic You truly are.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen – so be it!

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Psalms 119:1-5

July 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
who seek Him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in His ways!
You have commanded Your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping Your statutes!
Psalms 119:1-5

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

One Thing

Written by Charlie Hall/ Performed by Jared Jensen

Single-minded, wholehearted, one thing I ask
Single-minded, wholehearted, one thing I ask

That I may gaze upon Your beauty, Oh, Lord
That I may seek Your Holy Face
That I may know You in an intimate way
And follow after You all of my days

All of life comes down to just one thing
and that’s to know You, oh Jesus, and make You known

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Thank You

July 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the LORD.
Blessed are those who keep His statutes
and seek Him with all their heart—
they do no wrong
but follow His ways.
You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying Your decrees!
Psalms 119:1-5

I remember growing up and receiving praise from a parent or teacher…that is one of the best feelings out there!  I see the delight in my children’s eyes when I thank them for listening, and when I let them know how much I appreciate their good behavior.  Even as adults we enjoy hearing “Way to go!” when we are recognized for doing well.  This is what God is doing here.  He is praising those who are blameless, those who follow His direction, and those that obey.  Now, He isn’t condemning those who may not be doing these things.  This is a sign of His unconditional love!  This verse wasn’t followed by a reprimand; it is a special message to those who are intentional in following Him, intentional in their obedience.

David ends this particular passage with these words:

You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

David is stating his intentions—his desire to be obedient.  God didn’t simply tell us to listen to Him.  He has given us detailed instructions on living life.  He gave us an entire ‘how-to’ book, a manual for life.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your instructions, for the ‘how-to’ guide that You have made available to us. Like David, I pray that we are steadfast in obeying Your commands and unwavering in following Your instructions. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

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Stay On Course

July 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him.
That’s right – you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set.
Psalms 119: 1-5

I am human. I have freewill to do what I please and I’m imperfect when I stand alone. Psalms 119:1-5 talks about ‘staying on course’; some translations use the word ‘blameless.’   Thinking about being blameless can be overwhelming—depending on how you decide to look at it. If I try to be blameless with no help then, yes, I am going to cry. If my blamelessness is dependent on a perfect God then, He’s got it taken care of.

I prefer the translation using “stay on course” because this deals directly with my freewill. I can choose whether I will tithe or help a person in need when I have the means or listen to the beckoning of the Holy Spirit. I can choose to read my Bible or not.

It’s not always easy to stay on course. Life happens even with the best of our intentions. Do not be discouraged by your “humanness” though (we all have some). Even some of our favorite people in the bible had to deal with their “humanness:”

  • The disciples were tired at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)
  • David was bored and ended up with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)
  • Moses got frustrated and disobeyed God by striking the rock (Numbers 23:1-13)
  • Cain got angry and killed Able (Genesis 4:1-16)
  • Abraham and Sarah got impatient with God (Genesis 16:1-4)
  • Peter was scared and denied Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75)
  • Peter got distracted on the water (Matthew 14:30)

Oh, how thankful I am that I serve a God who is perfect in all that He does! He even came up with the perfect plan to make me perfect in His eyes through Jesus Christ. “Humanness” is nothing compared to the Cross. Don’t get me wrong, we still have self-control that needs to be exhibited when our “humanness” rears its ugly head, but to know that we don’t have to strive for perfection lightens the load of living significantly.  Stay on course.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, help me to stay on the path that you set out for me.  Amen.

 

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Following Him

July 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow His directions,
    doing your best to find Him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road He set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now You expect us to live it.
Oh,  that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course You set;

Psalms 119: 1-5 (The Message)

As David encourages us, we will be blessed as we stay true to following God. Just like our relationships, we are to keep pushing forward for understanding. When we study His word, God is faithful to speak to us as we ask for understanding.

We see families sacrificing their time for a child’s dream or passion. What if we could turn that kind of commitment into serving our Lord? There are hurting people out there that need to know God’s unconditional love. We do our best. And God sees our efforts. As long as our intentions are to honor Him, we will be blessed.

God did not give us rules to restrict our living, He gave us rules to protect us. But because we have the nature of Adam, we sin. Then He gave us Jesus. Jesus lived life on earth as an example of perfect living. Jesus loves his Father and was obedient unto death on that horrible Roman cross.

 

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Following The Rules

July 14, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
Blessed are those who keep His statutes
and seek Him with all their heart—
they do no wrong but follow His ways.
You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying Your decrees!”
Psalms 119:1-5

As children, we are taught right and wrong from the beginning. Our parents do their best to teach us right from wrong. Sometimes we follow their teachings—and sometimes we don’t. That is called being human. If we followed their teachings and never got into trouble then we would be perfect and in Heaven with God right now. Unfortunately, we are born into sin and therefore follow human nature until we accept Christ.

Our parents lay down rules so as to give us boundaries to follow as we grow up. If we do not follow them, then there are consequences. I know a person (I will not name names) who got a whipping with a flip-flop from his mother because he thought he could get what he wanted by pitching a fit even though he had already been told ‘no’ and the reason why. I received a spanking for asking a cashier at Arby’s for a quarter to play the video games at the restaurant even though I had already been told ‘no’ by my mother. Just as the little boy did not respect his mother, neither did I—and we both paid for it.

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man,
blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
Genesis 6:9

Just as parents set boundaries for their children, God does so for His children. He blesses those that follow His teachings and listen to Him. He saw Noah this way, and Noah was blessed with his life and the gift of helping to repopulate the Earth when God destroyed the world in the Flood. Noah had a relationship with God. This relationship saved him in more ways than one and blessed him among men. He obeyed God and was blessed.

God blesses those who follows His teachings and laws. He blesses those that enter into a relationship with Him. We should seek to follow God’s laws and teachings. We should open our ears and hearts and eyes to Him from the time we wake to the time we sleep every day. We are blessed to have a loving Father who takes cares of us and blesses us in any way imaginable.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your laws and teachings. Thank You for blessing those who follow You. You care for us and gave these laws to set boundaries that will protect and bless us. Thank You for Your love and kindness and mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Plea of an Honest Heart

July 13, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled
(the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God],
who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord
(the whole of God’s revealed will).
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies,
and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.
Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts];
they walk in His ways.
You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes
[hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!
Psalms 119:1-5 (AMP)

These five verses speak of God’s Holy Word. Every verse mentions “His way,” “the revealed Word of God,” “the law of the Lord,” “His testimonies,” “His precepts,” “Your statutes” and they tell us a lot about ourselves. Look at the first and last verses…notice the contrast?  Verse one speaks of being blameless and undefiled. The last verse is a plea from a desperate heart. We try to keep “His statutes” but, being human, sometimes we fail.

Take a closer look at verses 1 and 3. Verse 1 states that “the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless)” are blessed. These people “do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]” according to verse 3. These verses are hard to put into practice. They set the bar high. They convict us.

However, verses 2 and 4 offer a glimmer of hope. If we “seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart”, if we “keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently,” if we strive toward doing and not just hearing, then we honor Him. And, with His help, we succeed.

Ahhhhh…but verse 5. Verse 5 shows us right where we need to be.

“Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!”

This is a heartfelt prayer from the depths of our soul. It is a yearning for all we desire to be—for all God created us to be.

Do you feel shame when you read verses 1 and 3?  I do. It pricks my conscience when I reflect on my failures and His ultimate act of grace. I have a past strewn with sin, littered with mistakes, and filled with bad choices. Since we are not blameless and undefiled, does that mean we are not blessed?  No.

1 John 4:17 tells us “as He is, so also are we in this world.” Jesus is blameless, undefiled, and perfect and that is how God sees us. God looks past our mistakes and sees our heart. He sees the desires of an honest heart; and our desire for a right relationship with Him.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father God, we lift our hearts up to You, knowing we are not blameless or undefiled. We are so thankful that through Your mercy and grace You see past our imperfection and into our hearts. Thank You for the gift of Jesus that makes us perfect in Your sight. May we always desire to hear, receive, love, and obey Your revealed will for us. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen – so be it.

 

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