March 17, 2026

Difference Maker

April 21, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Yeah, isn’t it amazing how a man can find himself alone
Call into the darkness for an answer that’s he’s never known
Yeah, isn’t it amazing how God can take a broken man
Yeah, let him find a fortune, let him ruin it with his own two hands
And he climbs on up the hill on the rock on which he stands
He looks back at the crowd
He looks down at his hands and he says
I am a difference maker

Oh, I am the difference maker
Oh, I am the only one who speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God 

I am on the fence about nearly everything I’ve seen
And I have felt the fire be put out by too much gasoline
And we’re all strangers passing through a place and time afternoon
Life is but a vision in a window that we’re peeking throughA helpless conversation with a man who says he cares a lot
It’s a passive confrontation about who might throw a punch or not
We are all transgressors, we’re all sinners, we’re all astronauts
So if you’re beating death then raise your hand but shut up if you’re not

‘Cause I am the difference maker
Oh, I am the only one that speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God

     ~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~  Songwriters: Bo and Bear Rineheart / Performed by NEEDTOBREATHE  ~

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Easter is an event we all look forward to each year with much anticipation, wonder, and awe.  The women look forward to being able to buy and wear new clothes and shoes.  Children look forward to the basket that bunny person leaves every year and being able to find all of those lost eggs.  Probably the best thing about Easter for me, though, is to tell the kids at church about how our Lord and Savior went to the Cross and died for all of our sins.  While we use a DVD curriculum we also have the ability to tell our kids how God has impacted our lives.

Difference Maker is about how some of us think that God only talks to us and that these are the only ones that make a difference.  Just as Paul says we are all members of one body and each of us have certain tasks to perform, we should not make others feel inferior.  Rather we are to build them up and tell God of their good deeds.  Even when those who serve alongside us might get hurt.  We are to love unconditionally…first in the church and then we will have a better ability to love outside the church.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?  If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.  And if they were all one member, where were the body?  But now are they many members, yet but one body.  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 KJV

Could you imagine if we followed Paul’s advice, how much better we would be?  I want to strive to be more attuned to the needs of my brothers and sisters (members) of the church and love on them the way God intended.

 *  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Father, I know that You speak to others and work through them.  I have seen it in my walk through life.  How You have put people in my life to help me grow and mature.  Help me, inspire me by Your Holy Spirit to seek You in all that I do and say.  Help me to remember to include others in what could be a great blessing in their life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Active Not Passive

April 20, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous—
with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation,
regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace,
for they shall be called the sons of God!
Matthew 5:9 AMP

Peace is so much more than a passive state.  It is not just the absence of fighting or the maintaining of the status quo.  Peace requires viewing the situation in light of the Gospel and actively setting out to promote and make peace.

According to Hebrews 12:14 we are to:
Work at living in peace with everyone,
and work at living a holy life,
for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

In Classical Greek, a peacemaker was one who strove to bring about peace: an ambassador that pursued peace, putting faith to work doing good for all.  That is what we are called to be.  However, there is one stipulation:

“Before one can be a peacemaker, one must be entirely delivered from self, from self-interest, and self-concern.  The peacemaker does not look at things in terms of how they may affect self.”

– Chuck Smith

A peacemaker seeks the glory of God above all else, placing the well-being of others above his own.  It is the “less of me, more of Him” mentality in action.

God took the initiative to make peace with us by sending His Son to die in our place.  Jesus is the One True Peacemaker.  Shouldn’t our mission be to share the Gospel of peace with others?  The inward peace only God can give?  When we choose to actively pursue peace, God rewards us with the very same peace.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind
[both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You,
because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
Isaiah 26:3

And we will be known as His children.

The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit,
[assuring us] that we are children of God.
Romans 8:16

Peace is the evidence that we are His.  We reflect our Father’s characteristics in acknowledgment of our adoption into His family.  The family resemblance can be seen in us.

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Father God, thank You for the many blessing You bestow upon us.  We are honored to be called a child of God.  Help us deny our own interests to promote Your peace so that others may benefit.  Guide our steps as we yearn to become more like You.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen, so be it!

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

That’s My King

April 19, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

My King was born King.
The Bible says He’s a seven way King.
He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.
He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King.
He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.
He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that’s my King.

Well, well, He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.
That’s my King.

Well I wonder if you know Him.  Do you know Him?
Don’t try to mislead me.  Do you know my King?

David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.
My King is the only One whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

He’s God’s Son.
He’s the sinner’s Savior.
He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.
He’s honest.
He’s unique.
He’s unparalleled.
He’s unprecedented.
He’s supreme.
He’s pre-eminent.

Well, He’s the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme problem in high criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.
He’s the carnal necessity of spiritual religion.
That’s my King!  That’s my King!

He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He’s God and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.

Well, my King is a King of knowledge.
He’s the Wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the Doorway of deliverance.
He’s the Pathway of peace.
He’s the Roadway of righteousness.
He’s the Highway of holiness.
He’s the Gateway of glory.
He’s the Master of the mighty.
He’s the Captain of the conquerors.
He’s the Head of the heroes.
He’s the Leader of the legislatures.
He’s the Overseer of the overcomers.
He’s the Governor of governors.
He’s the Prince of princes.
He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.

That’s my King!

His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Well. I wish I could describe Him to you…
but He’s indescribable. He’s indescribable.

Yes. He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible.
He’s irresistible.
I’ve come to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him,
let alone a man explain Him.
You can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off of your hands.
You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.

Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him,
but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilot couldn’t find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.
That’s my King!

He always has been and He always will be.
I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.
There was nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him.
You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.
That’s my King!

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory.
Well, all the power belongs to my King.
The glory is all His.
Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory,
forever and ever and ever.
How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever.
And when you get through with all of the evers, then, Amen.

Dr. S. M. Lockridge

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

That’s my King!  Throughout the Scriptures…not only in many Old Testament prophecies but from His conception to His death…Jesus is spoken of as the King.

When the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was going to conceive and bear a son, Jesus, he told her of Jesus’ Kingship.
Luke 1:32-33

When the Magi came to Herod, they were looking for the newborn King of the Jews.
Matthew 2:1-2

When Jesus made his final entry into Jerusalem, the crowds hailed Him as a King.
John 12:12-15

When Jesus was arrested, it was for saying <supposedly> that He was a king.
Luke 23:1-2

When Pilate confronted Jesus, he asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
John 18:33-39

When Pilate was dealing with the crowd, he asked “What shall I do with the Man you call the King of the Jews?”
Mark 15:9-14

When the soldiers were torturing Him, they mocked Him as a king.
Mark 15:16-20

When Pilate had a sign fastened to the Cross reading: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
John 19:19-22

And when He returns to the earth, He will come in power and glory!

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him,
then He will sit on His glorious throne.
Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people
one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 25:31-34

That’s my King!  Is He yours, too?  I deeply yearn and endeavor to live in submission and obedience to my King so that I can be gathered with His sheep and inherit life in His Kingdom.  You, too?

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

Lead Me To Calvary

April 18, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

King of my life, I crown Thou now
Thine shall the glory be
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow
Lead me to Calvary

Lest I forget Gethsemane
Lest I forget Thine agony
Lest I forget Thy love for me
Lead me to Calvary

Show me the tomb where Thou was laid
Tenderly mourned and wept
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept

Let me like Mary, through the gloom
Come with a gift to Thee
Show to me now the empty tomb
Lead me to Calvary

May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee
Even Thy cup of grief to share
Thou hast borne all for me

Fill me with Thy desire
For all who know not Thee
Then touch my lips with holy fire
to speak of Calvary

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

Jennie E. Hussey/WJ Kirkpatrick/ Performed by Andrew&Saskia Smith

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

And as they led Him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian,
coming out of the country, and on him they laid the Cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
Luke 23:26

As we near this time in the year that we celebrate Easter, it is easy to focus on other things as we get nearer to the Easter weekend. Many of us are busy with family traditions and other things, and it is so easy to forget what Easter is really all about—just like we do at Christmas. Yet, Easter and Christmas are both about something different from the Easter Bunny and Santa.

During Easter, we celebrate the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We celebrate Christ’s defeat over sin and death. We celebrate His sacrifice so that we may live in eternity with God. Yet there is more to those three days than we often realize. In other people’s actions, we can see hints of what is expected of us as Christians.

When Christ was led to the Cross, the Roman soldiers pulled a man, Simon of Cyrene, from the crowd. The soldiers forced Simon to help Christ carry the Cross to Calvary. When you look at the verse above, notice the last phrase: “…that he might bear it after Jesus.” Now symbolism can take root here. As it is told to us and sung to us, when we accept Jesus, we are supposed to take up the Cross with Jesus.

In a way, this is saying that as Christians we take up the Cross with Jesus upon our acceptance of Him into our hearts. Just as Jesus took up the Cross to bear the weight of our sin, we should bear the Cross as a reminder of why Jesus died for us. Our Cross will be the sufferings and sorrow we endure here on Earth. Our Cross will be the persecution we receive from those who do not follow Christ. We will bear the Cross with Jesus.

By bearing the Cross with Jesus, we will be blessed with eternal life in Heaven. We will be able to beat death just as Jesus has. One day Christ will return and resurrect His faithful followers to return with Him to Heaven where we will spend eternity. We worship our God every day, and there will be no suffering or pain. There will be great joy and happiness abound.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your sacrifice on the Cross. Without that sacrifice, we would not be able to look forward to eternal life. We would not be able to defeat death. Thank You for Your love and Your presence in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

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

Pure Like Children Again

April 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8 

Purity is “the condition or quality of being free from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes,” etc.  That is why childhood is called the “age of innocence.”  Nothing has come into children’s hearts to make them impure.  They do not know the evils of this world unless it has touched them in some way.  They have no worries unless they just happen to have seen or felt evil at a young age.  I see this looking at my two young children every day—especially yesterday.

I got a free day off from work yesterday due to a threat on campus.  I was two minutes away from daycare when I got the call that the university was closed.  I turned around, and my daughter and I went home.  I spent the morning with her (even thought I slept for about 30 minutes of it).  (Hey…I was not about to let an opportunity for a nap slip by when I was sleepy.)  Later that afternoon, she took a nap while I was cleaning her room and her brother’s room.  I checked in on her, and I watched her sleep.  I wondered where the time had gone and where my ‘age of innocence’ had gone.  Due to the innocence she has, she is not contaminated yet, except by sin.  She is too young to realize what the true meaning of Easter is…though she can now tell you that Jesus died on the Cross.

When we do not know God, we are impure.  When we reach the age where we can understand who Jesus is and what He did for us, we have become contaminated by the world.  We are being taught its ideals through peers and the outside world. Yet, we reach a level of purity again when we decide to accept God’s gift of eternal life.  When we accept Jesus, we feel His Presence in our hearts, and we see His daily works in our lives.  We become blessed to be pure through the Blood of Jesus Christ again, and we can see Him every day by looking for His signs through nature and the blessings that He gives us when we need them.

God loves us.  We are His creation.  We are His children, and He is our Father.  We see God every day when we observe what He does and spend time with Him. Our hearts and spirit become less polluted by the world and cleaner by the spirit working inside of our hearts.  We become more like children of God and less like children of the world.

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Dear God, thank You for cleaning our hearts and making us pure in the spirit. The pollution of this world is great, but Your love for us is greater and infinite. You are our Father, and we are Your children. You clean our spirits and make us whole. In Jesus name, Amen.

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

A Single-Minded Loyalty

April 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8 

I think I’ve mentioned this before but, just in case I haven’t, I want to reiterate that I love my Study Bible.  I’ve always liked studying, and love to learn, but when it comes to the Bible, I seem to grasp ideas better when they are outlined for me, when I can see the meaning of words, and when other Scriptures are listed as additional references.

When I was studying this week’s Beatitude, a sentence stood out to me— “single-minded loyalty to God.”  Typically when one sees the term “pure” the words “innocent, unsullied, good, and perfect” may come to mind.  So to be honest, when these words were not used in the description of this particular Beatitude, I was surprised.  This verse was a reminder that God doesn’t ask for or require perfection to ensure that we will one day bask in His glory, and He doesn’t ask that we have an impeccable life record.  No, He asks that we focus on Him…that we live each day for Him…that we display a single-minded loyalty to Him.

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
Psalms 24:3-4

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
Hebrews 12:14

These three verses help to define what a pure heart should look like: single-minded, loyal, peaceful.  These are all traits that are attainable, and they are traits we can display.  God never gives us impossible tasks.  He never asks more of us than He knows we can give.  And He KNOWS we can give Him a pure heart.  One day we will see His face.  One day the act of possessing a pure heart will have rewards beyond measure.

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Let’s Pray: Lord, create in us a pure heart.  Lord, to see Your face, that is our goal, to bask in Your holiness, to be in Your presence.  I pray that each and every one of us focus on having single-minded loyalty to You in all we do, in all we say, and in every action we take.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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

Call On Jesus

April 17, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’m so very ordinary
Nothing special on my own
I have never walked on water
I have never calmed a storm
Sometimes I’m hiding away
From the madness around me
Like a child who’s afraid of the dark

But when I call on Jesus
All things are possible
I can mount on wings like eagles and soar
When I call on Jesus
Mountains are gonna fall
‘Cause He’ll move heaven
And earth to come rescue me when I call

Weary brother
Broken daughter
Widowed, widowed lover
You’re not alone
If you’re tired and
Scared of the madness around you
If you can’t find the strength to carry on

Call Him in the mornin’
In the afternoon time
Late in the evenin’
He’ll be there
When your heart is broken
And you feel discouraged
You can just remember that He said
He’ll be there

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~  Singer/Songwriter: Nicole Mullen ~

As evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey Him!”

Mark 4:35-41 NLT

One of the things that I love about this passage in Scripture is that Jesus was sleeping in the midst of the storm…He was at peace in it.

He is our peace in the midst of the storms in our lives when we focus on Him instead of our circumstances.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is,
the law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so as to create in Himself one new man from the two,
thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God
in one Body through the Cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Ephesians 2:14–16

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus and that He is our peace in the storms of life and that we are never alone in this journey of life. Father, I thank You for the peace that surpasses all understanding when we focus on the gift given to us through Your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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

Create In Me a Pure Heart

April 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8

You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right.  Then you can see God in the outside world.
Matthew 5:8 MSG

Create in me a clean (pure) heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

I remember when I found this gem of a verse.  For months afterward, I prayed Psalms 51:10-12 over myself.  As a result I witnessed godly change in myself and my life.  Was I perfect during this time?  Ha!  Far from it, but daily I turned my eyes to God and asked Him to create a pure heart in me.  I don’t think I’ve ever been closer to God in my life.

A pure heart is a focused, undivided, unburdened heart.  There is no way for you to dwell in the Presence of God daily, hourly, minute-by-minute and hold on to lust, hate, bitterness, unforgiveness, guilt, condemnation, or any sin forever. God’s Presence is Holy and if you seek Him, He will shed His Light on your life and show you what He does not find pleasing…and then you will experience conviction.  Not condemnation, but conviction.

I know that I’m not the only one who can say that they have tried to run from conviction before—which eventually is running from God.  AlthoughI did manage to run from God for twenty-two years, He eventually caught me.   Needless to say, running from God can be difficult.

I struggled with figuring out what to write this devotional about until the Lord reminded me of Psalm 51:10 and my own personal experience with the verse. And then He asked me why I had stopped pursing a pure heart wholeheartedly. (To which I, of course, had no answer.)

Knowing where I’ve come from and where I am now, I thank the Lord for all He has done for me and how He has transformed me to be more like Him.  But He’s not done and I should never stop seeking to have a pure heart.  Plus, if pure-heartedness is what helps me see God this side of heaven, I most definitely want to strive after it.

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, a pure heart—this is what I ask.  You alone can transform my heart.  Show me that which is unpleasing to You, and give me a steadfast spirit to sustain me. In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

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

Give Me Jesus

April 15, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone
Give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~ Traditional African Spiritual  ~ Arranged and Sung by Jeremy Camp ~

 *  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  *

Jesus is the only One that can fill in all of those empty places.  If you have Jesus…that is all you need.  Jesus is the Living Water.  Let’s go to one of my favorite places in the Scriptures—where Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman….

Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”  He was alone at the time because His disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.  The woman was surprised, for Jews refused to have anything to do with Samaritans.  She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”  Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water.”  “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep.  Where would you get this living water?  And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well?  How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”  Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.  It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water!  Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”  “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.  “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.  Jesus said, “You’re right!  You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now.  You certainly spoke the truth!”  “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”  Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans know very little about the One you worship, while we Jews know all about Him, for salvation comes through the Jews.  But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.  The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”  The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ.  When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”  Then Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah!”

John 4:7-26 ESV

 *  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  *

God is the only One who can fill every empty space; every desire and dream that make up who I am can only be filled by my Savior.

I want to be that woman who is completely satisfied in Christ even if my biggest dreams fall to the wayside. I want to let Jesus fill every inch of my soul and heal the broken pieces that reside there.  I want Him to be enough because I know He is.  So I come to Him with hands lifted up asking for help.  Here I am, Lord, please fill the empty places and heal the broken pieces. In Jesus name…AMEN!!!  – Brooke Smith  (shared from the Dayspring  (In)courage blog )

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

Deviled Eggs

April 14, 2014 by

2014-04-13 19.03.55

Okay, before we go any further…if you want to make deviled eggs for your Easter celebration meal…go to the store TODAY and buy your eggs.  Seriously, really fresh eggs are v-e-r-y difficult to peel!  Been there…done that!  Anyone else?  And also, may I suggest you purchase the very best (i.e., the most nutritious, healthiest) egg your money can buy.  Yes, they may be a bit more expensive but SO worth it!

Our recipe today is for classic deviled eggs AND variations.  I think that once Spring has sprung, most gatherings where food is involved have a plate or two of deviled eggs on the table.  I know this is true for our family; how about yours? And I am sure that all of us have had ‘the world’s best’ deviled eggs…and probably some of the world’s worst, too.

In my quest to present to you the BEST, I took a peek at the way that Alton Brown (of the Food Network) does his hard-boiled eggs.  Mr. Brown is a food geek (don’t we love that about him?) and a scientist.  So, he is a valued source for me when I want to get down to the basics.  Want to know how Alton Brown prepares his hard-“boiled” eggs?  Check out this video.

Pretty cool, hmmm? (I know…punny! How can steamed eggs be cool?!?) His is a great method, and, by my experience, works perfectly each and every time. These eggs turn out with tender whites and beautifully yellow yolks…with not a bit of a tinge of that green edging that so many hard-boiled eggs have! Now here on the Monday installment of At Home w/ GCH, I try to present recipes to make healthy but-oh-so-yummy! foods. Today’s recipe fits within those parameters because we have reduced the amount of mayonnaise and lightened the mixture up with some plain Greek yogurt. The average deviled egg half, prepared traditionally, contains approximately 60-65 calories. Now that is not too bad if you are only putting one half on your plate…but, honestly, who eats just one half? Prepared using the following basic recipe (not the variations), each deviled egg half has approximately 30 calories. (So to me that means I can indulge and eat both halves!)

2014-04-13 20.22.31

Deviled Eggs (And Variations)

Ingredients:
8 perfectly steamed eggs (see video below)

3 tablespoons mayo (even better: use canola mayo)
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons pickle juice (we like bread&butter pickles)
freshly ground lemon pepper, to taste
smoked paprika

Directions:

  • With a sharp knife, halve each of the eggs, removing the yolk; set aside.
  • Using a wire mesh strainer, push the egg yolks through the mesh one at a time. (Or, if you prefer, simply mash the yolks to the consistency you prefer)
  • Add the mayo, yogurt, and mustard to the yolks and combine. Slowly add the pickle juice ‘til very creamy
  • Add pepper to taste
  • Dust with smoked paprika

Decision time: either use this healthy but-oh-so-yummy version of the classic egg filling or try any or all of the varieties below!

  • To fill the egg white halves, you can either simply use a small spoon, or fill a sandwich bag with the mixture <don’t forget to squeeze out the air AND seal the bag!>, then snip just the tip off one corner, and swirl the yolk mixture into the indentation of each egg half.

Variations: (shown in the picture above)

To the yolk mixture, you can add any one of the following:

  • finely chopped avocado and a squeeze of lime juice, OR
  • a sprinkle of garam masala (or curry powder); top with a small mango chunk,

Or top with:

  • a bit of fresh dill, or snipped fresh chives
  • finely chopped apple and walnuts; then top w/ a bit of blue cheese
  • chopped Greek olives and a bit of feta cheese
  • finely chopped tomatoes and some crumbled bacon

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

 

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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