February 24, 2025

I Refuse

September 15, 2015 by
Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone’s alright, when I know they’re not
This world needs God, but it’s easier to stand and watch
I could say a prayer and just move on, like nothing’s wrong
But I refuse
‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
I don’t want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh, I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God
So if You say move, it’s time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do, and show them who You are

To stand and watch the weary and lost
Cry out for help
I refuse to turn my back and try and act
Like all is well
I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day
To die to myself
I refuse to make one more excuse

Josh Wilson
Singer/Songwriter

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It is so easy to sit around and not do anything.  It is much harder to do something about our problems or the issues we see around us.  All we need to do is ask God to help us be strong and give us the courage to do what is right. There are some who do not have to pray about it. They already know what they need to do…and they embrace the challenge.

We can all find this kind of courage, especially when we read the Psalms. Who much more can we follow than David?  Through his ups and downs, David always praised God.  As David went through his struggles and victories, it is also a reminder of our future Savior and King—Jesus.

Jesus, when he was in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed for God to take away what was going to happen. But, because it was not God’s plan, Jesus accepted His fate and completed His journey for His Father.

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Heavenly Father, we love You and thank You for sending us great examples for us to follow.  We want to be a light for You in this confused world.  Forgive us for being complacent and lazy.  Light a fire under us to share your awesome truths.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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

Attitude Towards Righteousness and Wickedness

September 14, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee?
and am not I grieved with those that rise up against Thee?
Psalm 139:21

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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.  Christ’s faithfulness to His Father while on earth—as demonstrated by His love of righteousness and hatred of wickedness—is the basis for God’s anointing of His Son. In the same way, our anointing will come only as we identify with our Master’s attitude toward righteousness and evil.

The psalmist is grieved and distressed by all the evil and immorality around him.  We, too, who have truly seen the Lord’s salvation, and received His love and goodness should find no love within ourselves for the world and its ways (1 John 2:15-16).

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Dear heavenly Father, I thank You because You are my God to Whom I bring  my cares and You take care of me.  I come before Thy throne of grace, Lord,  with my prayers and supplication that You, dear Lord, would create in me an attitude that loves righteousness and hates evil.  This I ask in the name of Jesus, my Savior.  Amen!!!

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Remind Me Who I Am

September 14, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

When I lose my way
And I forget my name
Remind me who I am
In the mirror all I see
Is who I don’t wanna be
Remind me who I am
In the loneliest places
When I can’t remember what grace is

Tell me, once again who I am to You, who I am to You
Tell me, lest I forget Who I am to You, that I belong to You, to You

When my heart is like a stone
And I’m running far from home
Remind me who I am
When I can’t receive Your love
Afraid I’ll never be enough
Remind me who I am
If I’m Your beloved
Can You help me believe it

I’m the one You love
I’m the one You love
That will be enough
I’m the one You love

Singer / Songwriter: Jason Gray

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But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it,
and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions,
I obviously need help!
I realize that I don’t have what it takes.
I can will it, but I can’t do it.
I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it;
I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.
My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions.
Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that it’s predictable.
The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
I truly delight in God’s commands,
but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight.
Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope.
Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.
He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions
where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind,
but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Romans 7:17-25 MSG

I must admit I am feeling pretty worn and weary.  I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to make the changes I desire in my life. I have lost my ‘want to...’.  Lysa TerKeurst puts it this way:

“It’s not the how to I am missing. It’s the want to…really wanting to make changes and deciding the results of those changes are worth the sacrifice.”

As I was deciding which song to blog about, I was torn between this song and “Thrive” by Casting Crowns. God whispered to my heart “You must know who you are before you can thrive.”

  • How do we so easily forget who we are and Whose we are?
  • Why is it that “…in the mirror all I see is who I don’t wanna be…”?
  • Why do I struggle to do what I know is right and not do what I know is wrong?

I read an article on the story behind this song.  In it Jason Gray says this:

“Most, if not all, of the time I really don’t want to sin, so that I do so seemingly against my own will.  Or as the apostle Paul famously said, “I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway…”
So sin begins to look more like addiction than anything else, as though there is a ravenous hunger deep inside of me that demands to be fed. What is that hunger, I wonder? Genesis Chapter 3 tells us that one of the first consequences of sin entering the world is that the ground would be cursed, that we would eat by the sweat of our brow and the soil would produce weeds and thistles. This carries in it the idea of futility: that our efforts are frustrated, that no matter what we do, we feel it’s never enough–that perhaps we are never enough.”

Oh, how I can relate.  I have been ready to throw in the towel.  I am “afraid I’ll never be enough.”  Why?  Because I have been trying to do it on my own. No matter how much effort I put into it, I am doomed to fail on my own. Only when I realize who God says I am and rely on Him to lead me will I have success.

Who does God say I am?

  • Colossians 3:12 AMP says I am “well-beloved [by God Himself,”
  • 1 John 3:12 NASB tells us “now we are children of God,”
  • Zephaniah 3:17 NIV states “The Lord your God is with you…He will take great delight in you;  He will rejoice over you with singing.”
  • Isaiah 49:16a AMP reminds us “Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands;”

Think about Isaiah 49:16 for a minute.   Can you imagine the pain of having something inscribed (or tattooed) on the palm of your hand?  How much more painful was it for God to sacrifice His only Son for me?  I need to remind myself that God gave up everything for me so I don’t have to do life on my own.

All I need to do is ask God…
If I’m Your beloved, can You help me believe it?

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

Change My Heart, o God

September 13, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

O that You would kill the wicked, O God;
Go away from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
For they speak against You wickedly,
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect and utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
Psalms 139:19-22

Change my heart, oh God 
Make it ever true
Change my heart, oh God 
May I be like You

You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me 
This is what I pray

{friends, this week the verses from Psalm 139 that our devotionals will focus on are not the prettiest…not the most praise-filled…not any thoughts to emulate.  these thoughts of the psalmist are a response, a reaction to things happening in his life…and his outraged cries to his God.  what a gracious God that He allowed him to speak from the depths of his heart…and that He allowed us to read and ‘hear’ these words.  we, too, at times respond like this to evil and persecution.  But we know that Jesus taught that LOVE is the response…and to NOT hate our enemies.  as such, like the psalmist, we need to change our thinking, our responses.  we need God to help us to change our heart.  This song is a great tool to do so.  I pray for you (please pray for me, too!) that we will seek God asking Him to change us, to mold us, to help us to be like Him.}

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Same Power

September 13, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvI can see
Waters raging at my feet
I can feel
The breath of those surrounding me
I can hear
The sound of nations rising up
We will not be overtaken
We will not be overcome

I can walk
Down this dark and painful road
I can face
Every fear of the unknown
I can hear
All God’s children singing out
We will not be overtaken
We will not be overcome

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave
The same power that commands the dead to wake
Lives in us, lives in us
The same power that moves mountains when He speaks
The same power that can calm a raging sea
Lives in us, lives in us
He lives in us, lives in us

We have hope
That His promises are true
In His strength
There is nothing we can’t do
Yes, we know
There are greater things in store
We will not be overtaken
We will not be overcome

Greater is He that is living in me
He’s conquered our enemy
No power of darkness
No weapon prevails
We stand here in victory

 Jeremy Camp
written along with Jason Ingram

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But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11

When asked if I would rather have Jesus walking this earth (like in Biblical times) or have the Holy Spirit, I really have to think.  Then I am reminded that Jesus could not be everywhere in body but the Holy Spirit can be with all of us, everywhere, all over the world.  How amazing is that?!

Have you ever thought about what Jesus said when He left here to go to Heaven to be with God?  He said that He was leaving a gift that was far greater than He.  We—that means you and me—have the same power in us that made Jesus rise again from the grave.  We have the same power that rose Lazarus from the dead.  And we have the same power that healed the leaper, made the blind to see, and fed the 5000.  So what are we to do with this power today?

  • We are to go out into this hard world and shine His light to those who are struggling.
  • We are to ask the Holy Spirit to give us the words to share with that one person that needs Jesus and meets Him for the first time.
  • We are to let the Holy Spirit be our Comforter in times of sorrow and share our comfort with others.

Oh, friend, the Holy Spirit is real and full of love for you and me!  So today, let’s praise Him for this gift and let us allow Him to work in us so that we can be all that we were created to be.

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Let us pray: Dear God, thank You so much for the gift of the Holy Spirit . And for the power that comes from allowing Him to work through us and in us. How amazing is it that when we accept Jesus in our hearts that the Holy Spirit is given to us.  Free!  Help us to use His power for Your good.  We love You and we praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Pickled Okra

September 11, 2015 by

 

Pickled Okra

When we moved to Texas last year, I wanted to find some plants to grow in the flower bed.  I put in some basil, which I have to water nearly every day to keep alive and healthy, and the rosemary is pretty hardy.  The other edible that does well here in the sun is okra, but I hadn’t eaten enough of it last year to really decide if it was something I wanted to grow.  Then I had a Bloody Mary at a Cajun restaurant – and instead of olives on my toothpick, I found Pickled Okra!  It was love at first bite.

This is really my first time doing anything with these little guys, and I still have a  lot to learn.  They turned out tangy, crunchy, and delicious…and make me want to experiment more with them.  So, if you like a good cheese plate, add some of these offbeat pickles and keep everyone on their toes!

Pickled Okra

Ingredients:

  • 1 large clamshell small fresh okra (between 1 and 2 pounds)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup salt – use Kosher if you have it
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 chopped hot peppers, or 1 teaspoon dried pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

  1. Prepare the okra:  wash them and trim the tops.  You still want a little stem left, but not too much – I think between 1/4 – 1/2″ inch is good.
  2. Make the brine:  Add the rest of the ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil.
  3. Pack the cleaned and trimmed okra into pint jars for canning.  First make a layer that point up, with the stems on the bottom.  Fill the jar with more okra, pointing down with the stems facing up, and jam them in there.  Depending on the size of the okra and how tight you pack them in, this will fill 2 or 3 pint jars.
  4. When the brine is boiling, pour the brine over the okra.  Make sure to spoon in the garlic cloves and spices – don’t waste that flavor!  If you don’t have enough brine to cover your okra, add boiling water to the jar so all your jars are filled to the top.
  5. At this point you can either hot water process them so they are shelf-stable, or just put the lids on tight and store in the fridge.  They’ll be good for a couple weeks in there if the brine goes to the top of the container.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

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

His Promises For You

September 11, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

You keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4

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My mind has not been at rest lately.  In fact, if I am completely honest, I haven’t allowed God to have my anxious thoughts—until today.  Have you ever gotten so tired that you finally gave in?  I wish I could tell you that I had this grand revelation and that I willingly handed it all over.  Honestly, God has been proving over and over and over that He is so capable of taking care of my affairs much more than I am.  See, this season of my life is so different for me in that I have two of my children living away from me now and I truly have to give them over to Him, physically and mentally.  Oh, this is very hard…so I went to His Word and found  many verses on just this.  I thought I would share because I know that, even though we are all in different seasons, we all need to trust in Him.

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my Glory, and the One who lifts my head.
Psalm 3:3

He is a shield when the world is coming at us in all directions.  And, when it seems that we are defeated, He lifts our heads out of the shame and into His grace.  He wants us to look up at Him and let His glory shine so bright that it dims all the hard that is around us.

For everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4

Did you read that?  It says “everyone“…that means you, too.  You were born an overcomer.  In Jesus we have victory over the world because He died and overcame it for us!  All we have to do is have faith.

  • faith that He will help you with that marriage that is at the brink of defeat
  • faith that He can heal that illness that you have been battling for so long
  • faith that He can take care of that child that you feel is lost forever

Nothing is too much for Him! We have the victory in Jesus!

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them!
The Lord your God will go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

What a comfort to know that, no matter where you or your children go, He goes before you all.  When you are sending those babies back to school…pray that God will go before them, and that He will be at that homeroom before they are, and that He will give them peace.  Or, when you have a meeting that you are really unsure about…ask God to meet you there; even in the parking lot to walk in with you.  He will!

Be strong and have courage to do this life that He has called you to live.  You have nothing and no one to fear when He is with you.  Lastly, remember His promise to never fail you or forsake you.  Oh, how loved we are by our Creator.  I don’t know about you but, after reading these promises, I am full of joy and cannot stop smiling!

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Where are you today, my friend?  What do you need to trust Him with?  I encourage you to pray these verses to your Heavenly Father asking Him to do what you cannot do by yourself.  Perhaps write these verses down on notecards and put them where you can see them daily.  He wants to encourage you and fill you with peace that only He can give you. I pray that you will feel it today!

Let’s pray!
Dear God, You are so awesome and amazing and so full of love for Your children.  Oh Lord, thank You that You never change and that all Your promises are true.  Thank You for all those who went before us—those whose stories are written in the pages of Your Word—to teach us and to prove to us that You will take care of us.  You will provide.  You will never fail us.  You will never leave us. And, Lord, for those today who are having a hard time trusting You, I pray that You show up today in a big way so that they will know beyond any doubt that it is You!!!  We love You and we praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

This Week…Psalms 139:17-18

September 11, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with You.
Psalms 139:17 and 18

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This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have continued along in our series on this wonderful chapter, Psalm 139. Our devotional writers have reminded us how vast, how precious, how awesome are God’s thoughts of us.  Here are a few of their thoughts….

In Thoughts, Tina reminded us about being still and waiting on God….

David was a great example of waiting and sitting before the Lord.  He would go to a quiet place and meditate on the great love God had shown him and his family…David was wonderful at being humble.  He did not let the fact that he was a king stop him from baring his heart and soul to the One who formed him in his mother’s womb.

As we wait on God to answer our prayers, we may become discouraged thinking, “He does not care about my little issue…” or,  “I have asked way too many times about the same thing….”  Let’s change our thoughts.  Let’s see how they align with Scriptures.  God wants us to acknowledge that He is first in our lives (not second, or third, or even fourth).  We need to train ourselves to put Him first in all that we do, all that we think, and all that we are.

❦

In What He Thinks of Me, Ahmee reminded us of Who’s thoughts of us we should be concerned….

…However, not all opinions should be accepted.  In fact, before we accept anything about ourselves we should prayerfully go to God.  He can show us our flaws in a different light and show us what He thinks and show us how to change.  God does that.  Now, if God says that it is so, then it is so.

…We are loved and thought very highly of. God sees our potential and loves us right where we are.

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Cast My Cares

September 11, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

When fear feels bigger than my faith
And struggles steal my breath away
When my back’s pressed up against the wall
With the weight of my worries stacked up tall
You’re strong enough to hold it all

I will cast my cares on You
You’re the anchor of my hope
The only one who’s in control
I will cast my cares on You
I’ll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul

This war’s not what I would’ve chosen
But You see the future no one knows yet
And there’s still good when I can’t
See the working of Your hands
You’re holding it all

I’m finding there’s freedom
When I lay it all on Your shoulders
Cast my cares I will
Cast my cares I will
Cast my cares on You 

Finding Favour
Writers: Blake NeeSmith, Casy Brown, Sam Tinnesz

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My word for this morning is comfort.  As I sit in my home, I can feel a crispness in the air.  Fall is around the corner.  I hear my husband and children sleeping. The dogs are beginning to stir.  Soon lunch boxes will be packed, clothes will be ironed, to-do lists will grow, and life will return to its normal pace.

But for now, I focus on the word comfort.  Today I will take comfort in knowing that—

  • whatever I face when this song ends has already been handled
  • as my family goes to work and school that God has a hedge of protection around us
  • God has already worked out the many concerns running through my head
  • every situation we face has been worked out for our good and will only prove to be another example of God’s love for us
  • I am never walking alone

This morning, ladies, as you take each step, you can take comfort in the knowledge that there is Someone we can cast our cares upon. Our Heavenly Father wants us to shed the worry from our lives and place it at the foot of the Cross.  He is in control and He is our peace. Today, cast your cares.  Take comfort in the words of this song, and in these words.

 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

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Lord, today we want to make an intentional effort to cast our cares upon You.  There is so much in life that we are not in control of; but You, Lord, You are in control of all.  Thank You for taking our worry and anxiety from us.  Thank You for being the place where we cast our cares.  You replace worry with peace.  You replace fear with love.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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

Thankful to be in Your Presence

September 10, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with You.
Psalms 139:17-18

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How awesome is this Truth, oh Lord, that Your thoughts of us are vast…and, really, uncountable!  This Truth humbles us!  And yet it also leads us to draw closer and closer to You, our Faithful God!  May our hearts and our thoughts of You be as the psalmist communicates as we meditate on this passage.   May we recognize the privilege of being in Your presence.  May the thought of Your presence be oh-so-very precious to us.  We love You and adore You, dear God!  We pray these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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