December 27, 2024

Come Thou Fount

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above

Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above

O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above
Seal it for Thy courts above

Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Orchestra
Lyrics by Robert Robinson / Tune: ’Nettleton’ by Asahel Nettleton,
This arrangement by Mack Wilberg

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Recently I have been struggling with a situation. I keep turning it over and over in my mind, unable to see how it can be resolved. One day last week, while pondering this issue once again, God placed this song in my heart. I kept coming back to the phrase “…tune my heart to sing Thy grace…”.

Finally it clicked.  The light bulb went on.  My responsibility is not to resolve this situation.  My responsibility is to fix my heart on God and praise Him.  He will deal with the rest.  Look at the following verses:

Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous
[you upright in right standing with God];
for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart].
Psalm 33:1 AMP

The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in Him;
all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.
Psalm 64:10 HCSB

So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him
have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!
so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
Ephesians 1:12 AMP & HCSB

Not once in any of these verses does it say it is up to me to resolve my issues.  Not once!  But it does reiterate over and over again that my purpose is to praise and rejoice in the Lord.  Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  Yet don’t we all struggle with this?  I am prone to wander and to take the burden on myself.  I don’t know about y’all, but I am a “fixer.”  Maybe that stems from being a wife and mother.  But nowhere in the above Scriptures does it say it is my responsibility to fix things. In fact, the following passages indicate that it is not my place to fix anything on my own.

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you;
Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.
Psalm 55:22a AMP & NLT

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day,
even the God Who is our salvation!
Psalm 68:19

Doesn’t that lift your spirits and make your heart smile?  God bears our burdens. He is in control.  All we need to do is fix our wandering hearts on Him and sing His praises.  He will handle the rest.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Sing this verse with me as we make it our heartfelt prayer:

O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above
Seal it for Thy courts above

Search Me, O God

SeekingHimLogo

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalms 139:23-24

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Christ Our Life Christian Fellowship
click here to visit their website

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, You have formed me and know every part
You wove me inside of the womb
Lord, I will praise You with all of my heart
How marvelous the works You do

Search me, O God, and know all of my heart
Try me and know every anxious thought
See if there is any wicked part
Lead me in Your righteousness

Your eyes were on me when I was unformed
My frame was not hidden from You
My days were ordained, and were all written down
How marvelous the works You do

You are holy,
You are holy,
You are holy, Lord

Where I Belong

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes it feels like I’m watching from the outside
Sometimes it feels like I’m breathing but am I alive
I won’t keep searching for answers that aren’t here to find

All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me
And when I’m lost in the current of a raging sea
I have this blessed assurance holding me

When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You
When the lights fade I wanna be found in You

Building 429
writer(s): Jason Ingram, Jason Roy

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

For this world is not our permanent home;
we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hebrews 13:14

Picture this…you and your family are staying in a condo on the beach.  You love the view so much but the condo not so much.  You don’t like the paint or the window treatments.  You really would want to replace the rugs and the bathroom tile.  Are you going to go to Home Depot and start a remodeling project?  Remember, you’re only there for a week.  Your home is actually somewhere else…this is just a temporary place for a vacation.

This world, though we may like parts of it, is just our “vacation condo” and Heaven is our home.  We are here only for a bit; and, while we are here, our job is to lead others to Jesus and to invest in our Heavenly home.  We all find ourselves longing for the Home that He has promised when this world is so hard and comes at us from all directions.  What joy that can bring us as His children!

But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body,
by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:20-21

God created us to live here in this world that He created.  He gave us beautiful scenery that we can enjoy, sunsets and sunrises, mountains covered in snow and the white beaches with blue oceans crashing onto them.  That’s how much He loves us.  We don’t deserve any of it; yet He gave it to us.  He also gives us grace to cling to when we have done so much that we wish we could take back.

I have seen this past week a teen lose her life to a horrible disease that she had been battling since the age of 14.  She left a legacy like you wouldn’t believe.  She made the most of this temporary home and she never took any of it for granted.  And now she is in her Home with Jesus.  But those left here are truly hurting and longing for the day that they will meet up with her again.  And I am sure they have many questions….

God made us a promise that this world would be hard but that He would help us overcome it.  He sent Jesus as an example of how to do it and He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us.  So when it feels like you can’t go on one more minute, please remember that He is coming again and that we should finish this life strong and help others to do the same. Oh…and that condo that you’re thinking of remodeling while on vacation?  I wouldn’t spend too much on getting it perfect.  You can’t take it with you!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for going to prepare a place for us beside You in heaven!  Sometimes this world gets to be too much for us.  We stress and give up, forgetting that in a blink of an eye, You will be coming to get us.  Lord, we are so ready…but please help us while we are here waiting.  Help us to invest in those things that are going to benefit our Home with You one day.  Keep us from harm and thank You for loving us so much!  And for that family that lost so much this past week…we lift them up and all the others that have lost loved ones too soon.  Please give them comfort and somehow let them know that their “babies” are okay with You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pease Porridge

Pease Porridge

“Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot, nine days old!”

 Yes, it’s a real dish; and, yes, it’s delicious hot (but I would recommend skipping it cold – and DEFINITELY don’t eat anything left out for a week!)  With fall coming next week, I thought I’d beat the rush and share my recipe for Pease Porridge.

Okay, I’ll be honest…this is just Split Pea Soup with less liquid added.  It comes out more like a stew—or even a pudding—when I make it like this.  Same ingredients though — if you want soup, just add 2 more cups of water or broth.  Easy!   You can add other ingredients to it as well – maybe a diced potato along with the veggies, or a smoked turkey leg as well as the ham.  Warm up your belly with this old favorite!

Pease Porridge

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of ham, diced (use Soyrizo for a vegetarian version)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 pound bag of split peas
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, saute the ham for a few minutes.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and stir over medium heat until the onion is translucent.
  2. Add the peas, broth, water, and bay leaf.  Cover and simmer until thickened, 30 – 45 minutes.  Add more water if you like a thinner consistency (or add up to a full two or more cups of water or broth to make split pea soup.)  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet

God’s Perfect Provision

encouragementbloggraphicromans15Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I am going to rain bread from heaven for you.

The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.
This way I will test them to see whether or not
they will follow My instructions.”

Exodus 16:4

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

The story of God supplying the children of Israel with manna is a beautiful example of God’s perfect provision.  He had allowed His children to hunger and starve in a desert…and they pretty much were without hope of finding food anywhere else.

It wasn’t His intention to starve them; He really could have met all their needs in a different way.  Have you ever wondered why He didn’t produce crops or just place a farm in their midst?  Or He could’ve taken their appetites away or allowed them to fill up on much less.  Or maybe He could’ve made them satisfied with just water.  HE is the Creator and He could do anything He wanted to.  But instead, He showed up and met their needs.  God literally rained down bread from Heaven six days a week for forty years to feed His children.

I think the reason He did it the way He did was to show them that it was all Him.  And that He alone was their Provider.  They were surrounded by nothing and yet they had what they needed. In fact, they had more than enough—they had plenty and they never had to ask.  He was testing them, too. In the verse above it says,”This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions”.

Did you know that we are far more likely to be obedient to Him when we are in need?  Think of that for a minute:  If you are in Jesus and your life is chaotic and you are lacking in necessities, you are more likely to reevaluate your life and see where there may be an area where you are not being obedient. You may even pray for God to search you and reveal where it is that you need a change.

You may not have all the wealth in the world, but you will have peace and joy in Him.  And because He loves us so much and gave so much for us, we should live a life of obedience to Him—whether we have much or little.  In Jesus we have more than enough.  In Jesus we have a Protector and a Lover of our souls.  In Jesus we have eternal life.  In Jesus we have plenty….

God is so faithful, each and every single day.  He delights in obedience especially when it comes from a heart of love and devotion to Him.  Let’s ask Him to help us to become a child of God who obeys simply because we love Him.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Do you know this Jesus?  If not, then I ask that you pray this prayer with me today and ask Him to come into your life and be your Savior.

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and my life is really messed up.  I have been living a life of disobedience and I am ready for a change.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died to save me.  I confess Him as my Savior. I ask that He live in my heart forever and help me to become an obedient child of God.  Forgive me of my sins and walk with me in this life…in Jesus’ name, amen.

This Week…Psalms 139:19-22

SeekingHimLogo

If only You would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of You with evil intent;
Your adversaries misuse Your name.

Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord,
and abhor those who rise up against You?

I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
Psalms 139:19-22

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have continued along in our series on this wonderful chapter, Psalm 139.  The passage that our devotional writers have written on is NOT an easy one.  But each of them has reminded us of the standard that God has for us and the example that Jesus set.  Here’s a little of what they shared….

In Loving Our Enemies, Ahmee reiterated the standard we already know….

Did Jesus agree with sinning?  No.  But yet he was still able to mingle among sinners.  Jesus did not stand apart from them and shake his finger at them. Not our Jesus.  That is just not how He operated…We are so quick to point fingers at other people, especially non-believers.  We cannot hold non-believers to the standards we would believers—they don’t believe what we do.  Our first goal should be to win them over and show them God’s love and mercy.  I say this in regard to Psalm 139:22, where it says, “I have nothing but hatred for them, I count them my enemies.”  The psalmist does say this, but we have been called to love those in the world.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5:44

As followers of Jesus, He obey His commands…and if He said that we are to love our enemies…then we are to love our enemies.  He is not saying  “Love all the sin that your enemies do.”  Nope.  He is saying—love the person, hate the sin.

In Attitude Towards Righteousness and Wickedness, Ann reminded us of God’s attitude….

Having meditated on God’s great love for him, the psalmist reciprocates with great love and loyalty to his Lord.  His anger is stirred against those who oppose and blaspheme God’s wonderful name.  In deep sympathy with God and His cause, he so identifies himself with the Lord that he hates what God hates and loves what God loves.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
Hebrews 1:9

This shows that it is not enough for God’s children to love righteousness, they must also hate evil.  We see this clearly in Christ’s devotion to righteousness (Isaiah 11:5) and His hatred of wickedness in His life.

In Respect, Tina reminded us of the importance of respect….

Through respecting and honoring them, I am showing the same respect for God.  God tells us we will be blessed with long life and abundance when we respect and honor our parents.  But we also need to teach this to our children and to those around us.  When everyone has a respect for each other, then this world will become a better place.  It only needs to start with us.

Honor your father and your mother,
so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20: 12

Exhale

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
It’s okay
To not be okay
This is a safe place
This is a safe place
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be ashamed
There’s still hope here
There’s still hope
No matter what you’ve done
Or who you are
Everyone is welcome
In His arms

Just let go
Let His love wrap around you
And hold you close
Get lost in the surrender
Breathe it in, until your heart breaks
And exhale, exhale

Spirit come
Tear down the walls
That only you can
That only you can
Reconcile, this heart to yours
Right now God, right now

Oh God
We breathe in your grace
We breathe in your grace
And exhale
Oh God
We do not exist for us
But to share your grace and love
And exhale

Plumb
Writer(s): Tiffany Lee, Matt Armstrong, Josh Silverberg

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

I was working with a young mother who was grieving the loss of her father and, like many other clients of mine, the first thing I told her was “It’s okay to not be okay!”  

{This is something we have to remind ourselves of from time to time as well.}  

As moms and wives…women in general…we often feel as if we need to hold it  together for all those around us.  And that we can’t show any sign of weakness.  But there are times when we need to surrender, to just be, and as the words of this song says, there are times when we just need to let His love wrap around us and make us whole again.  We don’t have to act as if nothing is wrong, or as if we have everything under control—because we don’t and that is okay.

Ladies, remind yourself that it’s okay to not be okay.  When we fall short, God will always be there to wrap His arms around us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Let’s prayDear Loving Father,  You are our safe place.  In You and with You we know that it is okay to feel as if we cannot hold it together.  Thank You. Remind us, Lord, to seek You when life is not okay and when life is okay.  Remind us to seek You always and to let You make us whole.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

We Are Free

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Chains are broken, ’cause You have spoken
It is finished on the Cross
Now I’m living in Your freedom
Jesus, You have set me free

By the power of Your Spirit
Every captive is released
For this purpose, I am living
‘Cause, Jesus, You have set me free

Nothingʼs gonna hold me back
No, nothingʼs gonna keep me down
Jesus has set me free, Iʻm free indeed

I will give You praise
With everything I am Iʼll praise
Whatever may come my way
You have won the victory, oh You set me free

Iʼm surrounded by Your goodness
I am covered by Your grace
My heart is grateful, forever thankful
‘Cause, Jesus, You have set me free

I will give You praise
With everything I am Iʼll praise
Whatever may come my way
You have won the victory

We are free, we are free
And we have the victory

I will give You praise
With everything I am Iʼll praise
Whatever may come my way
You have won the victory, You set me free

PlanetShakers
Joth Hunt

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Set me free from my prison, that I may praise Your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of Your goodness to me.
Psalm 142:7 NIV

Here is David…once again…on the run for his life from Saul, hiding in a cave, acknowledging the need for his God’s deliverance and protection.  And don’t you just love his motivation?  Listen again to what he writes:

“…[so] that I may praise Your name,
then the righteous will gather about me because of Your goodness to me.”

Yes, he definitely needed to be rescued from the cave.  Yes, he surely needed to be delivered from this situation.  Yes, he absolutely was in dire straits fearing for his life.  But, even more than being rescued, delivered, and saved, he wanted to praise his Deliverer, his Rescuer, his Savior and tell others about God’s goodness.

And this was always the recurring theme of David’s heart—to praise God!  Even now, thousands of years later, you and I are so often brought to the place of praise through the beautiful, praise-filled words of David’s psalms, yes?  Here are a few of my oh-so-very favorites:

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalms 13:5-6

My mouth shall tell of Your righteous acts
and of Your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is more than I know.
Psalm 71:15

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
Psalm 40:5

In Psalm 142, we hear of David’s desire to not only praise God for rescuing him but that other’s, also, would praise God for this.  How about me (and you)?  When we cry out to our God for His deliverance in our situations and circumstances, is it only for relief for ourselves?  Or is our prayer that out of our deliverance would come honor and glory and majesty and praise of our God…? Oh, for sure, we need God’s deliverance!  Daily each of us need God’s provision and protection and blessing.  But we should always be sure to tell others about the wonderful and mighty and awesome things that He does as He cares for us.

So, tell us, would you…how has God set you free lately?  We would love to praise His name because of His goodness to you!

Respect

SeekingHimLogo

If only You, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of You with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse Your name.
Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against You?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
Psalms 139:19-22

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

As we go through life, we have choices.  The choices we make determine our future.  We can choose to serve God or our own needs or wants.  Just as David decided to trust God with his life through all he experienced, we can learn to walk through our trials in this life.

Our memories and reactions are just as unique as we are.  There are similarities between us, but we are unique.  Our families have formed us to be who we are.  Our dads are usually how we compare who God is.  I was adopted by my aunt and uncle.  I am not sure how old I was, but I do know they did the best they could in raising me and my cousin, their son.

Dad always did what he could by us kids and by mom.  He provided a place for us to live and thrive when we moved to the country.  He set mom up in a grocery store.  We were able to walk to elementary school and grew up protected.  There were not the typical pressures of living in a big city and attending a large school getting lost in the crowd.

We thrived and grew and matured.  We respected what our parents was able to do for us.  Especially now that we are older. I remember thinking I won’t say that to my kids and then I hear myself saying it to my son or daughter. Yeah, I had those days.  I would have days where I truly disliked my parents because I thought they were unfair and that I would not ever leave.  But I did, and through lots of tears and forgiveness, I have been able to respect my parents.

Through respecting and honoring them, I am showing the same respect for God.  God tells us we will be blessed with long life and abundance when we respect and honor our parents.  But we also need to teach this to our children and to those around us.  When everyone has a respect for each other, then this world will become a better place.  It only needs to start with us.

Honor your father and your mother,
so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20: 12

In our time, as in David’s, ignorance prevents us from being in line with God’s best for us.  When we begin to serve our own desires we are out of God’s plan.  We need only to repent and turn back to Him

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Father, forgive us for when we seek our own way and not Your way.  Thank You for providing Your Holy Spirit as a guide and a reminder to us to return to You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

More To Be Desired

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple

More to be desired are they than gold
Yea, than much fine gold

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether

Moreover by them is Thy servant warned
And in keeping of them there is great reward
Who can understand his errors
Cleanse Thou me from secret faults

Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins
Let them not have dominion over me
Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer

The Young Disciple Youth Bible Camp
Ed Gungor

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

We hear in this sweet song (and read in Psalm 19:7-14 which inspired it)  that God’s commands (His laws, His statutes, His precepts, His decrees) are:

  • perfect…they convert our souls
  • right…they give joy to our hearts
  • sure…they make us wise
  • pure…they give light to our eyes
  • true…they all are righteous
  • clean…they endure forever

How encouraging is that?!?  What a merciful, gracious, kind, compassionate God we serve!  Throughout time, He has communicated with His people and given them His commands—which, in this psalm, include His laws, statutes, precepts, and decrees.

In the beginning, God told His man, Adam, ONE simple command—not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden (Genesis 2).  To the children of Israel as they journeyed for forty years to the Promised Land, He gave them His rules to follow (e.g, Deuteronomy 6).  When Jesus was instructing His disciples, He pulled it all together, giving them TWO direct commandments—1) to love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, all their strength and 2) to love their fellow man as they loved themselves (Mark 12:29-31).  Our hearts’ response to our loving God should be loving obedience…plain and simple.  I pray that the following verses will be a reminder and encouragement for us all to trust and obey the Great I AM.

In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands.
And His commands are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3

I obey your precepts and Your statutes, for all my ways are known to You.
Psalm 119:168

Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart—
Psalm 119:2

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Thank You, dear Lord, for how gracious, kind, and merciful You are to us.  You are not a harsh, exacting God Who demands perfection…rather You are a loving Father Who sets righteous, life-giving commands before us!  You guide us and help us to seek You and obey You from our hearts.  You are SO good!!!  We love You, Father…and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.