November 21, 2024

Verbal Sacrifice

November 26, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.
Hebrews 13:15 ESV

How often do we refer to the praises coming from our mouths as sacrifices? Praising the Lord’s name and giving Him praise is like a walk in the park—under the right circumstances.

What about when customers at work are being difficult, your co-workers aren’t any better, and your bosses seem to have drawn your number? What about when a friend stands you up? What about when things just won’t go right and everyone seems to be against you?   Or things couldn’t possibly get any worse?  What about those days that are just off?

This reminds me of when I was little and did something wrong.  Even though I was wrong, I didn’t want to say sorry.  I just didn’t want to…even though it was right thing to do.  It literally physically pained me to utter the words.

Those days when you don’t feel like giving praise are the days when praise is a sacrifice.  When we praise God even in our less-than-favorable moments we are saying to Him…and those around us —

  • God is our God
  • we trust Him with our lives
  • we trust in Someone bigger than us
  • we have the Almighty on our side to fight for us

Exodus 14:14 is one of my favorite verses. It says,

The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

Praising God takes our eyes off our circumstances and places them on Him.  If our eyes are on God—regardless of the situation—how could we not feel like praising Him?

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank You, Lord for being a trustworthy God.  Thank You for taking care of me, even when the odds seem against me.  Amen.

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

Look For The Lord

October 17, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

“O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate.
I will rebuild you on a firm foundation of sapphires
and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels.
I will make your towers of sparkling rubies
and your gates and walls of shining gems.”
Isaiah 54:11,12

I remember the first time I really read this verse…I was sitting in my “school room,” where I homeschooled my youngest two at the time.  A room I had so much pride in.  I had washed the walls, and put together shelves, and organized a bin with books and file folders and teachers’ planners, and all things education.  I had worked for the past 9 months in this home, cleaning out and making it a warm and inviting place where we as a family were beginning to heal from a hard season.  A place where we gathered in the den and watched ‘Dancing with the Stars” and had dinner picnics.

But on this day, I was looking to God’s Word for hope as Kyle and I faced the hard decision to let this house go.  This is the first verse that I turned to.  On this day, God was my Restorer.

See, He speaks to us in the manner that we need—at the exact time we need Him.  He will be what you need Him to be.

As I looked up verse after verse, I was overwhelmed by just how much God loves me and you. I know that on that particular day, God knew that I needed His amazing promises of restoration and redemption more than I needed words of conviction.  He is our Father, and our Creator.  He knows it all before any of it happens.  His grace goes before us and softens the hard things.  In that season, I saw so many little bread crumbs of manna.  A lot of times I wondered why did any of this really have to happen and did it really have a purpose.  And then I would go to His Word and read something like this:

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,
Who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:10

After you have gone through _________, Jesus will restore you and God will strengthen you!  In other words, it will all be worth it and God will get all the glory.

Through the hard season, I was given a strength and endurance that I never had before.  And God knew that I would need that strength later on in life and He conditioned me for it.  So I learned to rejoice in this.  As Romans 12:12 says,

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

All trials and struggles keep us on our knees before God.  We learn to rely on Him and not ourselves.  Sometimes there is nothing we can do except rely on Him.  And really, those are the most beautiful times.  We have to trust Him and His goodness.

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Exodus 14:14

You only need to wait on Him.  He knows what you need.  He will come through.

And last, I want to remind you that you can make it through this.  Whatever you filled that blank in with, you can do this.  His power is enough and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.  And rejoice, knowing that He loves you and He has already conquered and defeated this for you.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:  Dearest Lord, You are amazing and awesome and so worthy of our praise.  You know our coming and going and You are in control of everything. Your Word is full of hope and Your Holy Spirit guides us to exactly what we need.  Thank You for hope in the horrible, and for giving us treasures in the trials.  You have been there with us…through everything…holding us and loving us.  You are enough and You are always for us.  And for those still unsure, please give them the reassurance that they need to lean wholly on You for everything.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

All You’ve Ever Wanted

June 10, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I just looked up today and
Realized how far away I am from where You are
You gave me life worth dying for but
Between the altar and the door
I bought the lies that promised more
And here I go again

Lord, I know I let You down
But somehow, I will make You proud
I’ll turn this sinking ship around
And make it back to You
But all my deeds and my good name
Are just dirty rags that tear and strain
To cover all my guilty stains
That You already washed away

‘Cause all You’ve ever wanted
All You’ve ever wanted
All You’ve ever wanted was my heart
Freedom’s arms are open
My chains have all been broken
Relentless love has called me from the start
And all You wanted was my heart

I was chasing healing when I’d been made well
I was fighting battles when You conquered hell
Living free but from a prison cell
Lord, I lay it down today
So I’ll stop living off of how I feel
And start standing on Your truth revealed
Jesus is my Strength, my Shield
And He will never fail me

‘Cause all You’ve ever wanted
All You’ve ever wanted
All You’ve ever wanted was my heart
Freedom’s arms are open
My chains have all been broken
Relentless love has called me from the start
All You wanted was my heart

No more chains, I’ve been set free
No more fighting battles You’ve won for me
Now in Christ, I stand complete…

All You’ve ever wanted,
All You’ve ever wanted
All You’ve ever wanted was my heart
(All You’ve ever wanted was my heart)
Freedom’s arms are open,
My chains have all been broken
Relentless love has called me from the start
And all You wanted was my heart

All You wanted was my heart
All You ever wanted was my heart
All You wanted was my heart…

Songwriters: Mark Hall, Bernie Herms / Performed by Casting Crowns

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

There is SO MUCH TRUTH to this song!  Jesus conquered all these things 2,000 years ago when He died on the Cross. Our roles as believers is to continue to stand on the TRUTH, the promises, until we see it manifested in our lives.  No matter what we see…we must continue to believe, trust and stand.

This is our role for standing firm in our faith and strong in Him.  Where we are weak…God is strong.  We need to start proclaiming the Truth instead of believing the lies and living according to our feelings.  We need to start proclaiming what we want to see come to pass in our lives according to the Truth of the Scriptures and then having done all, continue to stand until the victory comes to pass.

As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations
in the presence of Him whom He believed—God, who gives life to the dead,
and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Romans 4:17

“As we continue to draw closer to the end of this age, it will become more and more important that we walk by faith! There will never be a time in our lives that we will not need to exercise our faith, so we need to keep it strong!”
Click here  for the entire article by Pastor Mitch Horton, Victory Church

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13 NLT

We need to start speaking faith into our lives, NOT defeat!

…If you have been ensnared by the words you have uttered,
and have been caught by the words you have spoken…
Proverbs 6:2

Why have we been chasing healing when we have been made well? Or fighting our own battles when Jesus conquered Hell??? Those battles have been won! We only need to be still and rest in Him….

The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.
Exodus 14:14 NLT

What do you need to lay down today???

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Oh, Heavenly Father, may we choose to lay down all of it today…knowing You are fighting our battles for us. May we choose to stop living according to our feelings and instead live according to the Truth revealed. In Jesus’ name AMEN!!!

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

Girls with Swords: Chapter 12 Weekly Review – “Sword of Silence”

June 14, 2013 by

 

Welcome to Campground USA

Log Cabins, Nature Trails, Canoes,

Paddle Boats, Bikes, Fishing

Picture this scene: There was an eerie silence among the townspeople as a vast army invaded their city.  No doubt the people feared for their life as this army marched around the walls of their city without a word.  

Sitting up in the window of one of the buildings in the city was a woman they all recognized from her occupation.  But today, there was something different about this woman.  As the townspeople peered from behind their windows watching the scenario unfold before them, they could tell she looked peaceful and content as the army marched.  And what was that thing she was holding in her hands?  A long red thread?  Wonder why she is holding that?

You see, the lady in the window had, shall we say, CONNECTIONS with the commander of the army, and was just following his instructions.  “Sit still and be quiet, and when the walls of the city are all down, we will come in and rescue you.  But——-if you go out into the city to try to save yourself, your blood will not be on our hands.”  (Joshua 2, paraphrased.)

Yes, Rahab—the harlot, one whose name ended up in the Hall of Faith for her obedience of wielding her Sword of Silence as the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.  

Let’s go on down to the bonfire and learn more about this Sword of Silence from my girlfriends.

Teresa:

Some of us are “basket cases” and some of us are “cool cucumbers”  as we face major trauma.  If we look at Jesus’ example, we will find He sought silence to be alone with the Father before His major battles. 

  1. He was fasting and praying when He was confronted with Satan in the desert. (Matthew 4:1-2)
  2. He sought silence and seclusion after the death of His best friend, John the Baptist. (Matthew 14:10-13)
  3. After ministering to the crowds and pouring Himself out, Jesus sought solitude and quiet in the mountains. (Matthew 14:23)
  4.  Jesus dealt with His popularity and the crowds by taking times of silence to reconnect with the Father.
  5. He dealt with this fear and anxiety through quiet time with the Father. (Matthew 17:1-3)
  6. Before Jesus faced his death, He went alone to pray to His Father and ask for the coming events to be taken from Him.  (Matthew 26:36)
  7. When questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus was controlled, reserved, and thought before He spoke. 
  8. When Jesus appeared before Pilate, He was asked very direct questions which would cause Him to be put to death and Jesus remained silent. (Mark 14:61)
  9. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”  (Isaiah 53:7)

If we follow Jesus’ example, we will seek the Father BEFORE we get into hard and traumatic situations.

Jennifer 

Wielding the Sword of Silence is very tricky, especially when the battle we are fighting is personal. There is so much wisdom regarding quarrels, friendships, and revenge in Proverbs as it relates to wielding the Sword of Silence during our individual struggles.

1.  Quarrels and Gossip

  • Proverbs 26:20 – – – Fire goes out without words and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.
  • We have to make a choice to stay silent, to not be angry, and to entrust the situation to our God.

2.  Friendships and Strife

  • Proverbs 16:28 – – – A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.
  • We must recognize that “we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies but against the powers of the dark world” (Ephesians 6:12).

3.  Revenge

  • Proverbs 28:29 – – – Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause; don’t lie about them. And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!”
  • Revenge is the way of the world; it is not God’s way. Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, and put to death an innocent man. During the course of His trial and conviction, He had many opportunities to plead His case, but He remained SILENT. He knew that His Father was taking care of everything.  

We all have our individual struggles, but we were not created to handle them on our own. God is right there, waiting for you to call on Him. He wants to change our hearts. Be still; be silent. Let God speak to you and then do what He says.

Tonya

The sword of silence seems too heavy to bear when we have been wearied by altercations of life, relationships, and responsibilities.  As Lisa said:  The trick is choosing to allow those critiques to refine, not define us.

Keys to remember:

  1. God alone establishes houses.
  2. When we live under the directive of God’s Spirit, God protects us.
  3. God knows how to settle matters with our enemies.
  4. We should never use our position with God to protect ourselves.
  5. We are not to take judgment or salvation matters into our hands; both of these matters belong to our God.    

I remind myself to step back in prayer and allow God to handle the situation; I’m supposed to bite my tongue.

Kim

I’ve never thought of silence as a weapon, but I can think of countless situations where silence would have definitely been my best weapon.

  • As a mom, when that precious child you’ve nurtured, built up, loved and protected comes home wounded by the words of her friends.
  • When a husband isn’t doing things the way I would.
  • Because of my past, I was the topic of conversation at many dinner tables even after I had a few years of a transformed life under my belt, rumors and yes, the facts were still spoken about me, hurting my children and me.

As much as I wanted to set the record straight, as much as you may want to set a record straight, we are to be different and choose a different weapon!  

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:14

***

Let’s Pray:

Father God, how wonderful it is that You have given us a sword to use for every battle we face.  How I thank You for the Sword of Silence.  Though it is our natural tendency to want to “fix” our problems.  May we allow You to train us to be still, hold our peace, knowing that You are the one fighting the battle for us.  In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 12 Sword of Silence – “A New Kind of Weapon” (Pgs 187-190)

June 13, 2013 by

We may not ever get justice in this world or this life, but believe me, God will have justice.

I’ve never thought of silence as a weapon, but it is. As I read this section of the book, I can think of countless situations where silence would have definitely been my best weapon. As a mom, when that precious child you’ve nurtured, built up, loved and protected comes home wounded by the words of her friends, and I pray for the strength to be silent when what I really want to do is get justice for her. When a husband isn’t doing things the way I would, I wish I had prayed to be silent. Oh what strength it takes to hold our tongues.

Because of my past, I was the topic of conversation at many dinner tables.  Even after I had a few years of a transformed life under my belt, rumors (and yes, the facts) were still spoken about me, hurting my children and me.  As much as I wanted to set the record straight—as much as you may want to set a record straight, or defend your husband, child, sister, or mother—as a child of the King we are to be different and choose a different weapon!  This time we are to trust that God, Who is all powerful, will fight for us and make all things right. It may not feel like it is right, but on this earth there will be injustice time after time. But take heart, dear Sister! He has overcome the world!

As this next scripture says:

Ex14_14.jpg

How perfect!  He knows our hearts. He knows when we have been wronged and He cries with us. He loves us so much and He’s always got our back.

Be silent. Be still. He is for you….

 *****

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You today needing strength only You can give; the strength to hold this powerful weapon silen—our tongues.  There’s a time for everything and may we listen to the Holy Spirit and allow You to guide and direct us and choose the right weapon at the right time.  Lord, You know our hearts and You know what we need from You and we praise You for bringing justice to us through the Cross.  We love You and thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,