March 20, 2026

Shout Joyfully to the Lord

November 13, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
Psalms 95:1-3

What does the word psalm mean? Growing up it may have just been another book of the Bible, and, as we got older it may have been to us something that David wrote.  But a psalm is more than the description of something—it is a powerful song of significance.  It is a tribute, a praise, a thank You.

The impact of music in our lives and in the lives of those around us is immeasurable at times; remember how it felt to have a song dedicated to you, or even a song written for you?  Remember how that song was a tangible act of love from that person?  Why would our expression of love to God be any different?

*Sing to the Lord*
*Shout joyfully to Him with psalms*
*Shout joyfully to the Rock*

For all that the Lord has done for us, even on our bad days, we need to shout our thanks to Him.  Like the harpist at my job said, “Every day is good because we were woken up, some days may be better but every day is good.”  Even on our less than better days the One Who gave us breath deserves a song of praise.

I like to embarrass my kids and sing and dance in the car.  I do this for a laugh and to connect with my children. But there are times I need to put the praise cd in and do the same for Christ.  I need to sing and shout praises of thanks up to my Heavenly Father so I can enter into His Presence.

Let’s focus on using music and praise to show our tangible expression of our love for God. Let us shout joyfully to the Lord because He is a great God!

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, You call for us to glorify You with song. We desire to sing Your praises.  Lord, help us to find that song in our hearts to praise Your name and the holy boldness to sing our thanks.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 8 – Love Is Not Easily Angered

November 13, 2013 by

16daylovechallengenotangryWhile studying for today’s lesson, I found this story (author unknown) that is just perfect to help teach us about this standard of “love.”

 A husband one day said to his wife,  “When I get mad at you, you never fight back.  How do you control your anger?” The wife responded, “I clean the toilet.”  He said, “How does that help?” To which she said, “I use your toothbrush.”

Ephesians 4:26 tells us:

In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

How many of us have done this?

How many of us let anger control us?

Anger does not happen easily…it creeps in on us when we least expect it; and the first little thing that someone says will upset us and then we explode.

I was called into my supervisor’s office last week for a special meeting and in the first two minutes of the meeting I was devastated with her announcement.   I was so angry that I could not even speak, and then my insides were ready to burst.

I wanted to get out of her office quick.   Instead of blowing up and shouting out, I began to cry and just told her, “I need to go. I can no longer talk about this subject.”

I left her office, went back to my desk and began to read a Scripture that I had posted on my computer monitor.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3

I sat there reading it over and over so that I did not get up and explode and do or say things that later I would regret.  The more I said the verse and talked with God the more amazed I was that God was helping me to change my thoughts, my anger.  God was providing me the fuel I needed to squash the anger.

Anger is powerful.   James 1:19-20 says:

Everyone should be slow to speak and slow to become angry,
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

How will we ever be able to live a life that pleases our God if we walk around with this kind of anger inside of us and not deal with it.   It will be just like a mouse running around on a wheel in a cage, or also as Cherie stated “we will be stuck in a continual rotation of frustration with everyone and everything around us”.

How can we show God’s love to this world, if inside us we have anger that is built up and ready to be unleashed at any moment?  When we fail to release our anger it will control us; it will even be who we become.

Love does not do that.  Love seeks to draw others. Love can’t draw when anger is present.

Love looks over the small things that creep up but anger magnifies the small things.

Think of the times in your life recently when you became angry with someone, and that anger then brought you to remember every wrong that person had ever done or said to you.  Going through this thought process is not “love in action.”

 “Love seeks to bind and to mend”

 Many of our angers are petty or personal, so we must learn to bottle them up and deal with them only with Jesus and not others for love’s sake,  then we can fulfill the commandment of God, in 1 Corinthians 13,  to “love and not be easily angered.”

**********

Let’s Pray:

Dear God, I pray for each lady who has studied this devotion today.  I pray that as they sought You, You were able to speak to them and show them if they are carrying around any anger that has affected their witness of You to others.  Help all of us, Lord, to seek, find and then to squash this anger out of our lives so that we can begin to show love, not anger towards others.  Help us, Lord, to be patient when others show anger and help us not to get drawn into it.  Help us to seek Your love that overshadows anger and—as You show us Your marvelous love—help us to show the world.  In Your name I pray.  Amen!

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Joy and Thanksgiving

November 12, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.”
Psalms 95:1-3

Our Lord is great. Our Lord is King. He is King above all. God is a loving King who provides for His children based on their needs—the needs that He sees. We as humans have needs and wants and, for some, it is difficult to discern between the two. That is why we have a loving Father in Heaven to look out for us. Just as we should thank our parents here on earth for what they have given us, we should also give thanks to God for everything He has blessed us with.

The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
Psalm 126:3

We should live in joy to the Lord every day. We should thank Him for everything He has done and has given us. God is our rock and foundation for this life on earth. Without God, humans wouldn’t even exist. As it says in Genesis, humans were created in the likeness of God. One can only imagine what life would have been like if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God. Would we get sick? Would we always be searching for what we needed? Would there be sadness? I believe not. It would have been joyous to have been in the Garden of Eden.

At this moment, many of us are gearing up for the holidays. The next one is Thanksgiving. It is the one day of the year that is for giving thanks for what you have and the blessings God has given you. However, we should stand with thanksgiving every day. We should sing with joy in our hearts for having such a loving and caring heavenly Father. During this eventful season, we need to remember God and His Son, Jesus. We should let God and Jesus into our homes, so we can be filled with joy and thanksgiving for the love that They have given us.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, in this time of Thanksgiving, please be with us as we thank You for all we have and for the life that we have. Fill our hearts with joy and thanksgiving every day. In Jesus name.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 7 – Love Is Not Self-Seeking

November 12, 2013 by

Hello, sisters!  Today, we are challenged with “Love is not self-seeking (selfish).”  That goes against the grain of this world, doesn’t it?  We are inundated with messages about looking out for yourself, improving yourself, taking care of yourself, making yourself look better.  Any bookstore or library will have a HUGE self-help or self-improvement section. We are constantly told, “You better watch out for #1!” or  “If you don’t take care of yourself, no one will!”  The message is almost everywhere, and unfortunately, sisters, we’ve bought into it.  MINE.

We learned that word as young children, didn’t we? My toys…my snacks…my food??  ME do it! As adults it looks a little bit more like my agenda, my life goals, my job, my money, my time, and my talents.  We often pride ourselves on our ability to work hard or on our achievements.  We’ve got it twisted, ladies, and God is calling us to change that way of thinking.  Not our agenda, our life goals, our job, our money, our time, our talents, but HIS. And here’s the kicker: they belong to Him anyway.  Ladies, let’s take a hard look  and examine ourselves. Are we being selfish…with God?

  • Are you looking to fulfill God’s interests first or your own?
  • Are you protective of your money? Or do you see it as belonging to God (ALL of it; not just what you contribute/tithe)?
  • Who has set the goals in your life?  You or God? Do you know what God wants you to do with your life?  Have you even asked Him?
  • Does God get your “prime” time, or your leftover time?

WHY are we so reluctant to give God EVERYTHING we are and EVERYTHING we have?  Why do we selfishly cling to what is ours?

Can I tell you a lesson I learned about God from interacting with my dog?  (Seriously.  God speaks to us in many ways.  I’ve even had a kingdom revelation while playing Candy Crush, but I digress….) I have a rescue dog, Dyson.  He is my “special needs” dog. Very shy, fearful, and mistrusting, even as a pup.  When Dyson is done eating, he will often pick up his food bowl and carry it around with him, crouching around it.  When I come to pick up his bowl to give him more to eat, he’ll often clamp down on it with his mouth and growl at me. I then have to do what I can to coax it away from him.  One day I was already frazzled, and Dyson and I start the “food bowl dance,” but Dyson was extra protective – he even snapped at me! My heart was broken; after all, I am his caregiver!  I broke down in tears and started telling Dyson: “Don’t you see that mommy would never hurt you?  Mommy will ALWAYS feed you!  Mommy will ALWAYS give you more to eat! Mommy LOVES Dyson! Mommy will ALWAYS take care of Dyson!”  As tears were streaming down my face, God gently touched me and said, “Don’t you see that I will never hurt you? I will ALWAYS feed you. I will ALWAYS give you more. I LOVE YOU!!  I will ALWAYS take care of you.”   The weight of what He said really sunk in.  Why do I hold back from God when He only wants what is best for me?  He wants to give me MORE.

Sisters, we live our lives like Dyson.  We protect what is “ours” because we don’t see the storehouse of blessings God has for us when our bowl is empty!  We mistrust God’s provision for us because we can’t physically see what is around the corner.  Dyson is always literally steps away from his reserve of food AND treats! We look to our own interests because we don’t believe God cares about them.  We are selfish with others because we don’t understand how freely and abundantly God gives to us. When we understand that everything belongs to God, then we realize He can replace whatever we give away!  The day I learned that I could trust God to supply for me even more than I could possibly supply for my dog was the day I became free of the bondage of selfishness.  God LOVES you!  He will ALWAYS take care of you!  He wants what is best for you!  You can trust God!

Will you be free from the bondage of selfishness today?  Give God your “bowl” today – he wants to fill it to overflowing!!

* * * * *

Let’s pray:

Holy God, I thank You that You are my kind and loving Father.  I thank You that You take care of my every need and promise to always take care of me in Your Word!  Forgive me, Lord, when I am selfish and look to my own needs instead of Your needs.  Help me to realize that when I seek You first, then You will supply all my needs through Your Son, Jesus.  God, I love You and I want to give to others as You have freely given to me.  Help me to live a selfless life!   In Your Son’s name we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 6 – Love Is Not Rude

November 11, 2013 by

16daylovechallengeloveisnotrude

“Oh, dear Lord, please forgive me!” were my words when I looked at that list of adjectives that Rebecca used to define the word, rude. “Lord, I am so deeply convicted in my heart! Not only have at least one of those words been directed towards me but I clearly recognize more than one that can describe my behavior at times!  Please forgive me, Lord!  I so want to be loving…and that my love can speak of just Who You are!  And, Lord, I realize that sometimes I think these things in my heart—not necessarily out loud.  Please help me to not be a hypocrite.   Change my heart, please God…please help me to change my heart!  I need You…in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Love is not…rude
1 Corinthians 13:5

Well now, THAT had to happen first.  How about you?  Might I ask if any of you had a similar response of crying out to God, seeking His forgiveness, His mercy, His help as you recognized the sin of being rude?  Oh, how easily it happens…but that is not an excuse. We have the ability to love as Jesus loved.  Our Lord made it clear to His disciples (and us who followed!) that love was the standard.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
John 13:34 and 35 ESV

And, Paul and John (both of whom clearly lived in submission to Jesus), themselves wrote about the need for Christians to love.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8

Little children, let us not love <merely> in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
By this we shall know that we are of the Truth and reassure our heart before Him;
1 John 3:18 and 19 <addition mine>

My granddaughter, Kaylie Joy, and I were talking about rudeness and what it means. After talking together and my relating to her a few Scriptures, she said to me, “TaTa, then being rude means not caring about somebody else’s feelings…and being mean, too!” There it is!  Rudeness thinks about me…while love thinks about others.  If we love others the way that Jesus loved while He was here on this earth then we will not be thinking about ourselves.  We will not be impatient, or unkind, or envious, or boastful, or proud—all the things we talked about last week.

I encourage you to take Rebecca’s challenge to heart today…perhaps right now. We have a loving heavenly Father Who never withholds His forgiveness when we ask. He will guide you and help you, giving you wisdom and courage to truly be loving and seek the forgiveness of others you may have sinned against by being rude. (And, if I can be of any help to you…perhaps pray with you as you handle this matter…please message me; I would love to walk through this with you!) <3

* * * * *

Lord, we thank You for the blessing of Cherie and Rebecca, and their obedience to the Holy Spirit in the writing of this beautiful book.  Thank You for working in them to hold a standard up to us that cannot be denied—all that LOVE truly is (and is not)!  We are so thankful for their willingness to write and say the hard things that would confront and challenge Your daughters who would read this book.  Bless them for their obedience, Lord!
And, Lord Jesus, please continue to work a work in our hearts to rise up to this higher standard of LOVE that You set for Your followers.  Father, we thank You for Your forgiveness where we have sinned; we thank You for Your help in changing our hearts. You are so good to us…we love You!  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 3 – Love Does Not Envy

November 6, 2013 by

16daylovechallengeenvygraphic

Let’s begin this lesson with learning what envy is.

In the Greek translation the word envy means “to burn with zeal,” or literally “to be heated or to boil over with envy.”

According to Holman’s Bible Dictionary envy is “painful or resentful awareness of another’s advantage joined with the desire to possess the same advantage.”  The advantage may concern material goods or social status.

The Bible agrees with the above definition.
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor.
This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:4 ESV

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30

Envy is an emotion inside of us that continues to build up resent when someone else gets or has something that we want. When we are craving what the other person has, instead of thanking God for what He has provided to us, all we are doing is hurting ourselves.

In Mark 7:21 it tells us that “within our heart” is the source of envy. Our heart is the part of our being where we desire, deliberate and decide. Within our heart is where envy is triggered and it begins to show it’s ugliness once it is set in motion in our thoughts and feelings.

I personally have struggled recently with this issue of envy in a particular area that I will share with you. Doctors have told my daughter that she would never be able to have a baby. When I was told this, I cried for days and, still at times, have moments of breakdowns. Every time I see pictures of her friends who are pregnant (and some of them even pregnant with twins), I immediately begin talking to God—maybe you could really call it complaining to God—as to why it is not my daughter who is the one having a baby…or concerning the girl having twins…why God could You not have given one of those babies to my daughter?

My envy in this is that I want to be a grandmother!!  I was only thinking about me and what I wanted.  I did not sit down and truly talk to God about what He wants for her and her husband’s life.

This is their life, not mine. I need to step aside and allow God to move and work in the way He has chosen. When, and if, this is His desire for their life God can overrule what the doctors have stated.

What I struggled to see was that God chose to bless these other couples, and it was the time for me to give thanks to Him for this wonderful blessing of life and not pout in envy because it was them and not my daughter (and me).

Envy festers inside us and keeps us stirred up. We must stay on our knees in prayer and not allow Satan the upper hand in this area by keeping these envious thoughts at the forefront of our minds. When we are envying, how can we love?

Love will make us blind to the things that other people have. Love doesn’t have any time to envy because we should be celebrating what God is doing.

“True love is God”, He laid himself down for us and He put us first before Himself; that is what we are to do for others as well. We are called to love not envy, and to realize that everything is done in His timing and at His will…not ours!!!

The cure for envy is love because love pushes envy out of our hearts. Envy is absent in our hearts when love is present. To love is to stop comparing.

I am so thankful God has shown me that I was harboring envy. He helped me to see that not only was I being resentful towards others, (not even wanting to see them because of my hurts), but He also helped me to understand that IN HIS TIME is when He answers.

As I sit here thinking about envy and love, I realize the freedom I can feel and have when I lay down envy at the feet of Jesus. When I stop wanting or desiring what others have, that is when love can take over my heart and I can be content with what God has provided to me.

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Let’s pray:

Dear God,

Help us to keep our thoughts away from what others have because that’s not what You want for us. Help us to look to You and Your plans for our life and to be content with what You provide. In Your name I pray.
Amen!

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Food for thought:

Think for a moment…are there any people in your life that you envy because they have something that you don’t? Confess it to the Holy Spirit right now and ask the Lord to forgive you and let Him fill that space of envy with love!

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Praises on our Lips and our Faces

September 3, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Friends, it would be good to read 1 Samuel 21 to understand that Psalm 34 was written on the heels of what took place there.  When David penned Psalm 34 (after acting strangely in 1 Samuel 21) he had a heart’s response of praise and wise insight of how great God is.

Let’s meditate on the first 5 verses of Psalm 34.

No matter where you’ve been, where you are, or where you’re going in this life, on your lips there always should be words of praise if you know God as Lord.  Even in difficulty, the heart turned toward God and His greatness will make praise come forth like uncontainable water overflowing  from reservoirs onto dry ground (for the sake of others who need to hear it, as well as you.)

Even if sadness sweeps in when there’s a loss of a loved one or you have to endure an excruciatingly painful experience, the Presence of God and His sustaining power are with you if you are saved.  You can say and live these words:

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:1

Because of the miraculous things God has done by sending His Son to be my Savior and because He has cleansed me from my sins through the sacrifice of His blood, I believe verse 2, knowing that ALL boasting is credited to Him alone:

My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
verse 2

Oh, that others come to rest and rejoice in all God has to offer them and that they too will rejoice in the hope He gives! And, as one chorus, let us lift our lives and words up to exalt Him!

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
verse 3

The Lord has sought me, and in my recognition of great need for Him, I turned and He was there. I was drawn to Him and my faith in Him was real. The stronghold of fear that abounds in this world became conquerable through the power of the Holy Spirit! Faith increased, and fear decreased – all because of the Lord, my God!

I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
verse 4

He is with us in the times where fear could overtake us.

Verse 5 makes me quickly think of Stephen in the Book of Acts:

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
verse 5

Stephen boldly delivered a long sermon to the Sanhedrin and, at the end, he is martyred.

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God…While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then, he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’  When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:55; 59-60

Children of God, like Stephen—with the help of the Holy Spirit—let our faces be covered with His love as we see others…no matter if they are cold, non-responsive, hateful, or, even holding stones!

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let the love we have in our hearts for You spill forth as words of praise on our lips and as joy and peace in our lives and on our faces.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Esther: Introduction

September 2, 2013 by

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Shalom!  God’s blessing of peace to you!  May I introduce myself?  My given name is Hadassah, though perhaps you have heard me called ‘Esther.’  (You can call me ‘Esther’, if you would like.)  I am a Hebrew girl, hence my real name. Hadassah means ‘myrtle,’ which is a tree or shrub.  My name signifies peace and thanksgiving.

I would like to share with you a little about my life; do you have a few minutes?  Perhaps as I relate to you the events of my life, you might think “Oh!  My! Not for me!”  But don’t…I have lived a life overshadowed by the hand of the Great I AM!  And I am sure that you have, too.  Perhaps  you will see some similarities between your life and mine.  Perhaps you will be reminded of great and small things that Almighty God has orchestrated in your life…for such a time as this!

Throughout most of our lives, there are usually a few people—loved ones, mostly—who are the major characters in our story.  For me, God placed two wonderful men as the main men in my life and my heart.  The first is my Uncle Mordecai…can I tell you about him?   Oh, please allow me—he was such an honorable, wise, God-fearing man!  You see, my abba-leh (my daddy) died while my ama carried me under her heart.  And my ama <sigh!> died as she labored to birth me.  By God’s grace, I had loving ones who raised me…in particular, my wonderful Uncle Mordecai.  Uncle Mordecai, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, deeply loved the Almighty God, the Great I AM and lived his life to serve Him.  When the Babylonians conquered our land, they took many of our people away as slaves, amongst them my parents and Uncle Mordecai.  Eventually, they settled in what is known as Persia in the capital city of Susa. Uncle Mordecai always had my best interests at heart and raised me according to the Law.

And there is another primary character in my story—my love, the king, Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) who made me his queen.  It’s quite a story Esther chapter 2 how this happened…me, one of the captive Hebrews becoming the queen of a most powerful ruler of many lands and peoples.  His domain reached from India to Egypt.  Amazing!  But I was telling you how I, a young Hebrew woman, became the queen of all this…  You see, Ahasuerus DID have a queen; a stunningly gorgeous woman named Vashti.  Oh, he loved her…it was quite apparent.  But Vashti’s heart became proud.  And she turned from lovingly submitting to Ahasuerus to outrightly defying him publicly.  The king turned to his advisors to see how to handle this.

Esther 1:18-22
“This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.   Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.  Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”  The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.  He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household….

Here’s where Almighty God caused my path to cross with the love of my life, Ahasuerus. After his heart (and anger!) had recovered from Vashti’s deception, he sought a new queen.  Only the Almighty God could have known that, of all the beautiful, lovely young women of the kingdom, I would be the one who would find favor in Ahasuerus’ eyes—and his heart!

Esther 2:17
And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the maidens, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Years went by and all was well…Ahasuerus ruled his kingdom, and let his heart be ruled by our love.  All was very well.  Let’s jump ahead a bit because in the twelfth year of the king’s reign, a dastardly, devilish plot was launched to annihilate my kin, the Hebrews. Esther chapter 3 When Uncle Mordecai heard of this, he was devastated!

Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

I sent a trusted friend to Uncle Mordecai to find out what was wrong and he sent me the strongest message I had ever heard him speak!

Verses 13 and 14
Then Mordecai told them to return this answer to Esther, Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

You see, I had held back…well actually deceived the king.  I had never revealed to him my true heritage—that I was a Hebrew and served the Almighty God.  And so, remorseful, I sent this message back to Uncle Mordecai:

Verses 16 and 17
Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”  So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

I felt the weight and responsibility of not only my role as queen but my identity.  Uncle Mordecai was right!  And if I perished…so be it.

Not much time elapsed and I knew I must speak.  Risking banishment at best, and death at worst, I arrayed myself respectfully and went before my king.  His favor and love for me won out, and he welcomed me before his throne.  I asked only one thing.

Esther 5:3 and 4
Then the king said to her, What will you have, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of the kingdom.  And Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the dinner that I have prepared for the king.

He granted my request.  Ahasuerus and <hisssss!> Haman <hisssssss!> came to my home for dinner.  And upon leaving, I asked that they return again the following evening.  Time was running short and the execution of my people was imminent.  When they returned, I spoke plainly and pointedly to Ahasuerus.

Esther 7:3 and 4
If I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.   For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slain, and wiped out of existence!  But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue, for our affliction is not to be compared with the damage this will do to the king.

Upon hearing my distress and fear, my king rose to my defense demanding to know how this happened and who was responsible.  ‘Haman.’ I replied.  Esther 7:5-10

Esther 8:3-5
Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.  Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.  “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews… For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

Upon realizing what Haman had been devilishly plotting and hearing my pleas, he immediately revoked the order and saved my people, the Hebrews.  Prior to this, Ahasuerus had had a dream (perhaps that was our Almighty God?) reminding him of the loyalty and devotion to the throne of Ahasuerus that Uncle Mordecai had always had.  As an added blessing, Uncle Mordecai was rewarded for his loyalty to the king.

Verses 10 and 11
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.  The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves;

Esther 9:20-23
Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,  to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.   So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration….

Verses 28-32
These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.  So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.  And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance—to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.  Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

Imagine!  A simple, orphaned Hebrew girl raised by her uncle in the midst of slavery brought by the hand of God through hard and evil times—for such a time as this!  My people, the Hebrews, to this day celebrate the Festival of Purim and the joy of God’s deliverance during the reign of my king, Ahasuerus.

At the beginning of our chat, I had said that perhaps you might be reminded of great and small things that Almighty God has orchestrated in your life.  Have you thought on this?  I pray to the Great I Am that He would open your eyes to these things…for such a time as this!

* * * * *

Dear Lord, please help us to recognize Your mighty hand of blessing…Your directing our path as You did the path of Esther’s life.  May we see how You have done this, too, in our lives.  We praise You, Lord, for Your sovereignty!  Please help us to never doubt Your goodness and grace and favor; may we rest in Your care knowing that all is well.  May Your perfect will be done in and through our lives.  In Jesus’ precious name.

Amen.

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

All

September 2, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

All.

This word is so small, yet its meaning is so vast.  I cannot remember ever being told the meaning of or looking up the definition of all, but I know what it means.  In fact, if you were to ask me what the meaning of all is, I would answer with a hand gesture.  (And I bet you can picture that gesture in your head , right now!)

All.

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.
Psalm 34:1

When I read the word “all” in this verse it seems out of place.  The psalmist aspires to praise the Lord at “all” times. The words “sometimes” or “often” seem more plausible to me. After all we are talking about all.

This verse, with its use of the word “all“, is quite overwhelming and, when I first read it, I thought, “I can’t ALLways praise the Lord, I have a lot to do.  I can’t write about this verse.”

Six other verses in this psalm contain the word “all“— verses 2, 4, 6, 7 and, 9—and five of these six verses refer to God doing something.

Then it hit me.

My God is an ALL God.  He’s not a “this and that” type of God.  God wants an all relationship with me.  Jesus said the greatest commandment is, “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Being the great example He is, God shows us what all means in a relationship.

For God so loved the word that he gave his one and only [all] son…
John 3:16a

With a sacrifice like this, I understand how Jesus can say, “In the same way any of you who does not give up everything [all] he has cannot follow me” (Luke 14:33).

And apparently, obeying this command is possible…the first disciples did it!  In Luke 5:11 and 28, the verses read, “…left everything [all] and followed him.”

All.  He wants it all.

The story about the rich young ruler can be found in Luke 18:18-30.  This is a fairly well-known story.  Jesus tells the man to sell everything [all] and follow Him, but the young man does not.  At the end of the story Jesus says,

I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children [insert: all] for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.
Luke 18:29 and 30

We will be rewarded.  All.

God has given us His all; in turn, He wants our all.  Does He have your all?

* * * * *

Thank you, Father, that the vastness of “all” is not too much for the Holy Spirit to handle. Help us to not be overwhelmed and instead trust You in all we do and aspire to do.  Amen.

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

Perfect God

August 20, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19: 7

The Law is a general term for God’s revealed will that directs a person in a right relation with Him.  This term (and many others) are God’s true word that testifies to His character and His will, the study of which makes us wise.

It is written that God’s will for us is to have a perfect life…an abundant life. And that can only be possible if we understand His purpose and move with that purpose. We need to fully turn our hearts and minds over to Him by:

  • Studying His word
  • Talking about His word
  • Meditating on His word
  • Obeying His word

The more fully we do that, the more completely we live by His good and perfect will for our lives. Those who know and obey God’s true word—His Law—will be prosperous and successful in that they will possess the wisdom to live righteously and to achieve God’s goal for their lives.

We will be prosperous and successful as we follow Jesus’ example to be strong, courageous, and diligent (Jesus’ character gives us His example of responding to the devil without fear.  Fear intimidates, but faith jumps forward.)  And to make God’s word your authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions (Jesus quoted Scripture verses as much as possible so that the devil left Him.) We must study and meditate daily on God’s word (Jesus was the Word made flesh; hence living by the word).  And determine to seek diligently God’s presence throughout your life (Jesus was recorded many times to have gone to His Father in prayer).

God has perfect plans for us.  He makes plans for our lives perfect not because we are perfect—we are fallible and make so many mistakes.  But His plan is perfect because God is perfect and whatever He does is perfect and complete.  In Philippians 1:6, Paul told us that God saved us and started a good work in us. Paul also wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God’s handiwork.   Just prior to this, two verses tell us that we are saved by God’s grace.  We have nothing to do with the act of salvation.  We haven’t earned it or deserved it.  We are born into the kingdom of God as a gift.  Nothing we can ever do would be good enough to satisfy God’s perfection.  Only Jesus, the Perfect One, is good enough.  Nothing, but our faith in Him, makes us acceptable to God.

* * * * *

Our dear Heavenly Father, we love You for You are a great and perfect God who loves us unconditionally.  In the midst of our imperfections and weaknesses You sent Your only Son to die for us so that we could be made perfect.  Create in us a steadfast spirit to do Your perfect will, Lord.  May Your name be glorified now and forever more!  In Jesus’ name, we pray, AMEN.

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