November 22, 2024

The Spoken Word

October 6, 2015 by

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

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Growing up in a small town, nothing is ever hidden for long.  People love to talk.  They often do not realize their words can hurt and cause irreparable damage to others.  No one knew (other than one or two) my secret.  But I felt I needed to tell my brother and sister-in-law when I found out they were letting their daughter spend the night at my parent’s home and her sleep in the bed with my dad.  Little did I know when I did share with them that my sister-in-law would go around telling everyone in the town I had lived in.  I was trying to protect my niece…not hurt mom and dad.  Mom asked me about it, and I told her I told my brother to protect my niece; and she was angry.

Was I wrong?  I don’t think so.  It did, however, change a few things.  Dad did say he was sorry for what he had done to me, but said he would never have hurt my niece.  How was I to trust that?  I pray he never did.   The secret was out and I did not have to hide that any longer.  What did hurt though was the words my sister-in-law spread.  My brother and she are no longer married due to some other things, but I believe God is just and merciful in all situations, because He said we are not to exact revenge on others.

Genesis chapter 1 tells us how God created everything with His spoken Word.  He spoke and it was.  And in just six days.  Genesis 2 tells us God rested on the seventh day. After He rested He created man, Adam, in His own image.  Can you imagine how lovely Adam was?  Perfect in every way.  Then God gave Adam charge over the Garden of Eden.  From the beginning of time God has given us work to do.  And He also gave us rules.

But the LORD God warned him,
“You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden
— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.
Genesis 2:17
Adam did not have a problem obeying.  God then created Eve, from Adam’s rib, to be a helpmate in the perfect world God created and placed them in. God fellowshipped with Adam and Eve…walking with them and talking with them everyday.  Then a serpent entered the scene.  He thought he would tempt the woman with the fruit growing on the tree in the middle of the garden—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
He was very sly.  He told Eve she would not die and made her look at the fruit and observe how appetizing it looked.  He also told her she would have knowledge just like God of good and evil.  We do not know what truly enticed her to eat, but the serpent caused her to look at the fruit and want it.  Then she shared with Adam after he observed that she did not die.
God gave them consequences for disobeying.  He knew they would but He was disappointed all the same.  Their disobedience (as well as our own sin) has separated us from God.
 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 
Father, we thank You for telling us You love us. Thank You for grafting us into Your Kingdom when we accepted Your Son, Jesus, in our hearts.  Send Your Holy Spirit to show us when we stray and go off course.  Let us seek Your Word, grow Your Word in our hearts and be able to share Your love and grace with everyone…even family.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Faithful Promises

October 5, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.
Your faithfulness extends to every generation,
as enduring as the earth You created.
Psalms 119:89-90

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

The thing I love about God’s Word is that no matter how I am feeling, no matter what is going on around me, no matter what other people say, and no matter what my mind or eyes see God’s promises take rank over all of it.

God’s promise is always true. Sometimes it is hard to see this, but it is true. You know, when bad things happen God does not cause them.  He is a good God, therefore, He is incapable of doing wrong or bad.  He can only do good. It is hard for us to understand because we, as humans, can do both. However, God is not like us in this aspect.  He can only do good.

Let me say it again, He can ONLY do good.

God’s word says that He has come to give us life and that He has come to give us that life abundantly (John 10:10).  Here are a few of my favorite promises:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary
and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you.
Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart
and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29

And this same God who takes care of me
will supply all your needs from His glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world can’t give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27

Knowing God’s promises isn’t enough…we have to believe them no matter what.

Hebrews 10: 23 (my favorite verse) says,
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
for God can be trusted to keep His promise.”

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Faithful

October 4, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable].
Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation;
Psalms 119:89-90

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

You know my future
like You knew my past
Your word concerning me
was made to last forever

I know Your Word is Your integrity
And that You’ll do
just what You said You would
You are faithful

Heaven and earth will pass away
But Your Word will remain
Your Word will remain faithful
Though all I have is stripped away
To You I remain
To You I remain faithful

I know that Your love is forever strong
And I will sing about it
All day long, forever

I know that there is
no one else like You
No one else can do the things You do
You are faithful

Hillsong United

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God’s Promises Last Forever

October 2, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers and the flowers fall
but the Word of God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

To everything there is a season.  Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, there is life and there is death.  All of creation is under that curse.  The grass has a life span; then it withers and dies.  The flowers open with beauty and sweet fragrance; then they fade and die. There are storms that break the stems of the plant, and there are floods that drown the grass.  There are also droughts that kill the grass, flowers, and other vegetation.

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NLT

This summer, as I walked beside a nearby creek, I discovered a single plant that had the most beautiful little red flowers growing along its stem. I had never seen it before and I have no idea what its name is, but I enjoyed its beauty.  That is until the flowers one by one started to fade and die.  That made me sad.  I’m so hoping I will find it growing along the bank next year, but I have no promise of that.

What I do know is that I/we have the promise, as our devotional Scripture says, that God’s Word will stand forever.

For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and He will guide us until we die.
Psalm 48:14

All He does is just and good,
and all His commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for His people.
He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name He has!
Psalms 111:7-9

But You are near, O Lord,
and all Your commands are true.
I have known from my earliest days
that Your laws will last forever.
Psalms 119:151-152

The very essence of Your words is truth;
all Your just regulations will stand forever.
Psalm 119:160

For each of us, there is life and there is death.  For each of us, we will have storms that try to break us, floods that try to drown us, droughts that try to kill us.  Perhaps you are going through one of those periods right now in your life.  If you are grounded in the Word of the Lord—as the flower is rooted in the rich soil along the creek bank—rest assured that the hard times are for a season but God’s Word lasts forever.  The sun will come out, Spring will come again, the grass will grow and the flower will bloom in your life.  We have that promise when we trust in His Word.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, we, Your children, thank You for Your Word.  We know You are from everlasting to everlasting, therefore so is Your Word.  You and Your Word are one.  When we are going through seasons of storms or droughts, please remind us by Your Holy Spirit that Your promises are true everyday no matter what.  You will see us through the stormy times, and we will grow and bloom again and be stronger than before.  Thank You, Lord, that Your Word stands forever.  In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.

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The Word of our God will Stand Forever

October 1, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

from the folks over at Fighter Verses.com
click through to go to their website;
an excellent source of great Scripture memorization tools

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Our Words

September 30, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Words.  How do you use your words?  Do you build up or do you tear down?  When you are angry do you say hateful, hurtful things?  As we have grew up, we may have heard words spoken in anger, tearing us down.  But  we can come back from those words.  We can heal from the hurtful words spoken to us.  James spoke of our tongue, saying:

The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.
James 3:5

When we believed that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, we were made new.  As we read and study the Word of God, our hearts are recreated.  Our past experiences have told us that life can be uncaring, unfriendly.  But our life with Jesus as our Lord  will be vastly different if we choose to learn and discover more of God’s love.

The beauty of God’s Word is it has existed for thousands of years… it ‘stands forever’.  There is nothing which has prevented it from existing.  His words are so powerful, it has been translated to many languages and dialects, enabling people in most all nations to have the opportunity to learn and grow.  God has created pastors to lead us, to teach us, to encourage us.  We just need to sit and learn; then go into the world and share the goods news of the sacrifice Jesus made.

Remember the first time you accepted Jesus as your Savior…the elation, the empowerment you felt when you realized your life was going to be forever.  Do you still have the same passion, the drive to share?  I pray you do.  I pray someone was able to come alongside you and disciple you; and to encourage you with the words of our Father. And that passion within you would grow so you could share His good news with others.

Keep pursuing your passion.  Keep learning, discovering who you are in Christ and you will be rewarded.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Father, I pray for those who may have lost their passion for You. I ask that they begin to seek You with a renewed fervor to tell others about Your love.  I pray for a light to shine forth, and that we share with others so we can tell them what You have done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Your Word Endures

September 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers and the flowers fall
but the word of God stands forever. 
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

The word of God stands forever.   All created life is frail and weak and will ultimately come to an end, as we read in Psalms 103:15-16…

As for man, his days are like grass;
Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it and it is no more,
And its place knows it no longer.

But the word of God stands forever.  God’s promises will be fulfilled, His redemptive truth cannot be annulled or changed.

Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away…
Matthew 24:35

For all men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field,
the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord stands forever.
1 Peter 1:24-25

The above Scriptures indicate that, like the earth itself, all human glory and attainments come and go…but God’s Word abides forever.  All human endeavours and the prevailing spirit of the world must be constantly judged by the Bible rather than the Bible being judged by them.  Those who bend God’s Word to conform to the intellectual trends and diluted standards of their generation betray the living and enduring Word of God.

Verse 23 of 1 Peter chapter 1 says,

For you have been born again not of perishable seed
but of imperishable through the living and enduring word of God.

And in Matthew 5:18, Jesus said,

I tell you the truth—until heaven and earth disappear—
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen
will by any means disappear from the law
until everything is accomplished.

Meditate on the Word; cling to it. Do not let it disappear.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

May the blessing of our Lord Jesus, and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us now and forever more!  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

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Your Words

September 27, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *   

Third Day along with Harvest Parker
writers: Mac Powell, Tai Anderson, Mark Lee, David Carr

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let me hear Your words
Above all other voices
Above all the distractions in this world

For Your words bring life
And Your voice speaks promises
Lord, Your love offers more
Than anything else in this world

Your words give us life that’s never ending
Your words bring us love that never fails
Everything else will fade away
But what will remain
Are Your words

Let us speak Your words
More than ours, more than ever
Let us share Your love with all the world

The grass will wither and the flowers will fall
But the word of our God will last forever
The grass will wither and the flowers will fall
But the word of our God will last forever

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This Week…Psalms 139:23-24

September 25, 2015 by

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Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalms 139:23 and 24

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have reached the conclusion of our series on this wonderful chapter, Psalm 139.  These final verses show the heart of a humble person who recognizes…and asks for…God’s help.  Here’s a little of what our devotional writers shared….

In Change, Ahmee encouraged us to recognize we need God’s help for this…

Do you believe that’s a person can change?  I do…I believe that a person can change, if they want to change.  We cannot change people, people have to want to change on their own or the change won’t stick.  I’m talking about true change not “appearances” of change.  Can people change on their own?  I do believe that even this is possible.  However, I also believe that the easiest change you will ever experience is with the help of God.  And by easy I mean that the tools are readily available if you will accept them. First, and foremost, a person needs to acknowledge that there is a need to change….

❦

In Search Me, Ann reminded us that nothing is ever hid from God…

‘Search me, O God’—this is an appropriate prayer for every believer.  Not only must we hate unrighteousness in the world but we must also be aware that there may be something in us that grieves God.  We should be willing to ask God to put us through any test that would further His work of sanctification in us.  If anything offensive is found, we must turn from it and repent.

  • We cannot hide anything from God for He is the All-Knowing God
  • Our God sees everything
  • This we should know: we cannot hide anything from the eyes of God.

❦

In Lead Me, Tina shared about the best leader—God and how He leads us…

Being a leader carries with it a lot of responsibility.  Some do it well, working hard to be available to their team and leading by example.  It is hard work to keep everyone motivated and on the right page. God is a great motivator.  He wrote us a manual for motivating ourselves and others..it is called the Holy Bible!

No matter what we are feeling, God is there with His words ready to fill our hearts.  He created the Holy Spirit to aid us to stay on the path that leads to an everlasting life….

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Lead Me

September 24, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
and see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalms 139:23-24

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Being a leader carries with it a lot of responsibility.  Some do it well, working hard to be available to their team and leading by example.  It is hard work to keep everyone motivated and on the right page. God is a great motivator.  He wrote us a manual for motivating ourselves and others..it is called the Holy Bible!

No matter what we are feeling, God is there with His words ready to fill our hearts.  He created the Holy Spirit to aid us to stay on the path that leads to an everlasting life.  Where we may fail in this world, if our focus is on doing our best, then how can we go wrong?

That is why we labor and strive,
because we have put our hope in the living God,
who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:10

God is amazing in how He loves us.  He already knows who is going to believe in Him and who will exceed what they imagined being able to do. Focusing on God’s best is where we will excel in all that we do.

Jesus is a wonderful example of this.  Jesus knew His fate before He agreed to obey His Father and become a human baby.  A baby who was helpless from birth and who would grow into an intelligent young man.  Going through the wilderness for forty days after being baptized by His cousin, John, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit to persevere and not give into the temptations of Satan.  Jesus knew He ultimately would have the power He was tempted with.  God had already promised Jesus many things.  But God did not keep His Son from suffering that horrible death on the Cross. Why?  So we could see how much God knew our brokenness.

Only through our brokenness, and Jesus dying on the Cross and becoming a curse for us on the Cross, can we lay down EVERYTHING we have ever suffered.  Jesus, on the Cross, was displayed for all to see.  He was naked, beaten, tired, hungry, thirsty, abandoned, alone, suffering, hurting, crying, afraid, broken-hearted.  God left Him there to die.  In order for Jesus to be the final Lamb, the Sacrifice, God had to let Him die.  In Jesus’ death and resurrection, death was defeated.  We should not fear what is coming at the end of our life.

We have heard stories of people celebrating when they know they are approaching the end of their life.  They know God is waiting for them.  They have lived for God, keeping their focus on Him.  As Paul was nearing the end of his life, he knew death was coming.  In the Book of Acts, Paul is making his way to Jerusalem, then is told that he must go to Rome and present the case for Jesus before Felix.  Different people tell Paul not to go, but Paul was not deterred.

After we had been there a number of days,
a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said,
“The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
Acts 21:10-11 

and then:

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!
As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Acts 23:11 

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for Paul’s boldness.  Thank You for sending Jesus to us to care for us and show us how to live selflessly for You.  Continue to show to us the leadership we can develop and share with others in our lives.  Forgive us when we become afraid.  Let us seek courage to take up our task and to finish the race well!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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