June 14, 2025

This Week…Romans 15:4

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For whatever was written in former days
was written for our instruction,
that through endurance
and through the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 ESV

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This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have begun a mini-series on the subject of HOPE.  Our devotional writers have brought light to the verse highlighted above truly bringing us ‘the encouragement of the Scriptures.’  Here are a few of their thoughts….

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In Positive Attitude, Tina wrote about a woman in the Old Testament who had great hope…

God gave hope to Hannah.  Hannah was barren.  She went to the temple and prayed for God to take away her shame.  When the prophet, Eli saw her praying, he thought that she was drunk instead and questioned to her. When she explained she was praying for what she requested of the Lord yearly, Eli sent her on her way, asking God to grant her request.  And God did.  She gave birth to a son, Samuel, whom she dedicated to the Lord.  She was also blessed with other sons and daughters for her faithfulness. (Click here to read this account.)

God still shows up in this way today…There is power in prayer and belief.  Within these lies our hope.

In Hope Waits, Ahmee shared that having hope means we wait…

Waiting goes hand in hand with hope.

Sometimes it’s a matter of seconds…sometimes it’s a matter of years.  Hope can be lost.  Hope can be found.  We can temporarily lose sight of the hope that we hold.  Hope is something that we have to focus on; something that is actually intentional.  Hope helps you keep a smile on your face when it’s raining.  Hope is a matter of perspective, but also, knowing that we are loved by the Creator of the world who only wants good for us.  With God, the hope we have has a real chance of actualizing.  Otherwise, we are just wishing for good things to happen.

God has promised us many things in His Word, and because of this it is possible for us to have hope.

In Spiritual Hope, Ann reminded us of the hope that the Word of God gives us…

The Word of God always gives comfort and strength.
The Word of God is an oasis of hope.

Believing the Word of God and living by it takes us from the arena of hope into faith.

And hope maketh not ashamed
because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:5

That means hope never disappoints. The reason it does not disappoint is that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  Hope is one of the three creative principles of the human spirit. They are also abiding principles.

And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Meaning that when all else fails, these three principles will remain and not pass away.  They are given to us and are in our spirits.  We are to choose to act on faith, to always be hopeful towards God, and to walk in love.

In Circle of Hope, Cynda gave us a great example of how biblical hope works…

Scripture
Purpose = Instruction
Result = Hope

The purpose of Scripture is our instruction.  The Scriptures encourage us to persevere, to endure.  They offer us comfort and give us hope. Psalm 119 reiterates how closely hope is tied to the instruction of Scripture. Look at the following verses:

Do not snatch Your Word of truth from me,
for Your regulations are my only hope.
verse 43 NLT

You are my Refuge and my Shield;
Your Word is my source of hope.
verse 114 NLT

This is the circle of hope—the more we seek God through His Word…the stronger our hope becomes; the stronger our hope…the more we seek God.  This serves us well in times of trouble.  Instead of being filled with despair, we can remember the nature of God and be filled with hope.

Touch The Sky

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

What fortune lies beyond the stars
Those dazzling heights too vast to climb
I got so high to fall so far
But I found heaven as love swept low

My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground

What treasure waits within Your scars
This gift of freedom gold can’t buy
I bought the world and sold my heart
You traded heaven to have me again

Find me here at Your feet again
Everything I am, reaching out, I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever

Hillsong United
written by Joel Houston, Dylan Thomas, Michael Guy Chislett

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In life there are lessons to numerous to count.  In our Christian walk, these lessons seem to multiply.  Sermons are preached, books are written, songs are created to help us discover and learn and re-learn these lessons.  One of these lessons that is so prominent in my life is surrender.  Whether I have lost my car keys and I hear the soft whisper of surrender, ‘Stop looking’…at that moment I pray for God’s guidance to help find them.  Or whether I am dealing with a family crisis and God says ‘Surrender, give it to Me’.  Big or small, this message of surrender surrounds our lives.

Listening to the words of this song, the idea of surrender takes on new meaning.  It shows how, despite reaching certain heights in our life, we can feel so low.  And how at our lowest points—when we truly make the decision to surrender—we are higher than we will ever be.  “I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground”…

Surrender is not easy.  Relinquishing control is not easy.  But it is necessary.  We can live life and go through the motions, trying to manage every aspect of our lives.  But the truth is we are not designed to do that.  We are not designed to carry it all…all of the time.  We will not know or understand what true freedom is, or what truly living is, until we surrender to God.

Surrendering all of ourselves—our hearts, our minds, our families, our entire lives.  We will find our lives when we lay them down.

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Dear Lord, let our knees hit the ground.  Help us to lay our lives at Your feet.  Surrender is a struggle for some…for most.  But there is true beauty in surrender, in allowing You to be the center of us and giving You total control.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Positive Attitude

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 For everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us,
so that through endurance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.

Romans 15:4

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Ever felt like, no matter what, things never seemed to go your way?  I believe we all have at some point.  I remember when my brother went through a bad spell that seemed to last forever.  From bad relationships to an attempt at suicide, he felt alone and desperate.  Through family, friends, and God he found his way back.  He is in a strong relationship and is happy.

God will allow us to go through issues—not to keep us down, but to make us stronger.  He has to prepare us for serving Him.  It will not always be easy (as some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are finding out in other countries right now).  As we pray for them, God will help the families and people through their journey.  God has given them the hope of seeing their loved ones in heaven if they believe.

God gave hope to Hannah.  Hannah was barren.  She went to the temple and prayed for God to take away her shame.  When the prophet, Eli saw her praying, he thought that she was drunk instead and questioned to her. When she explained she was praying for what she requested of the Lord yearly, Eli sent her on her way, asking God to grant her request.  And God did.  She gave birth to a son, Samuel, whom she dedicated to the Lord.  She was also blessed with other sons and daughters for her faithfulness. (Click here to read this account.)

God still shows up in this way today.  I have some friends whose child was at the point of death and was brought back to life.  Others  who were dying of cancer and once they were prayed for, they were healed.  There is power in prayer and belief.  Within these lies our hope.  We only need to pray with confidence to our Father who can heal and restore our homes, our families, and our nations. Not just the United States, but all nations.

For we have been given the commission to go and share the good news about Jesus to everyone.  We are doing this with our blogs, sharing our stories.  Sharing our life struggles and our victories in life, with the guidance  of the Holy Spirit.  God wants to use us to spread His good news!!

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Father, thank You for loving us.  Thank You for sending Your Son to die for us on the Cross.  Help us continue to share Your Word—Your good news to the world.  Let the words we write honor and glorify You and Your Son, Jesus.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Cielo

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’m walking through the bright white gates
Breathing in and out Your grace
All around me melodies rise
That echo with a joy inside
So I start to sing

But I can’t sing loud enough
I can’t sing loud enough
When I’m singing for You, My God

With a thunder roll and a brilliant light
Your glory bursts and the heavens shine
Saints and angels stand in awe
Captured by the beauty of it all
So I fall to my knees

But I can’t bow low enough
I can’t bow low enough
At the vision of You, my God

I can’t hold it all inside
I’m reaching for the One
Who brought me out of death and into life

Now I can’t lift my hands high enough
Lift my hands high enough
When I’m reaching for You, my God

Singer/Songwriter: Phil Wickham

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The very first time I heard this song, I can truly say that my heart was overwhelmed by this song!  It literally brought me to my knees…both physically and in my heart.

This beautiful, captivating song is written to paint the picture of being in God’s Throne Room.  Phil Wickham shares his heart about this song in the very beginning of this video clip.  Here is what he said: “The song is kind of a story about a man, kind of waking up…his first kind of entrance to the heaven and seeing God and being overwhelmed, in the light, in the love, in the mystery and beauty of the whole place, so I wrote the verses as a story and the chorus is kind of a sing-a-long response.”  {wow!}

And each verse DOES depict such a vivid mind-picture, don’t you think? “Thunder rolling, brilliant glory bursting, walking through bright white gates, breathing God’s grace, hearing joyous melodies rising about…” But what caught me and drew me in was the idea of it not being possible to sing loud enough…or bow low enough…or lift my hands high enough in worshipful response to the absolute Presence of my God!

It reminded me of this passage in the very beginning of the Book of Revelations:

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man,
clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow;
and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace,
and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword;
and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.
And He placed His right hand on me, saying,
“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One;
and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore….

Revelations 1:12-18

The apostle John was given incredible and amazing and awesome and hard-to-fathom revelations. He was shown the most magnificent and truly breathtaking things in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Perhaps, do you think that, had he known this song, he might have been singing, “I can’t bow low enough, I can’t bow low enough at the vision of You, my God!”

Listening to this song, I desire to be real before my God acknowledging my desperate need for Him.  I would love to plead with you, friends, to take your music-listening device and go in your ‘closet.’  Play it as loud as you are comfortable with…and worship Your God!  I pray that you won’t be able to sing loud enough or bow low enough or lift your hands high enough!   But DO sing and bow and lift your hands because God is as close as your breath…and He SO desires to receive your worship and praise!

Hope Waits

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Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.
And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement
as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
Romans 15:4 NLT

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Hope

  • is ‘a confident expectation of good
  • is what keeps you moving each day through your struggles and trials
  • is what allows us to believe in big dreams

Can you imagine a world without hope?  Maybe a whole world is hard to imagine…how about just one person?  Have you ever seen a person who has lost all hope?  One look into their eyes and you can see much pain.  It hurts even the beholder.  And although we, ourselves, may have hope we do have something in common with those that do not.

We both must wait.  Waiting goes hand in hand with hope.

Sometimes it’s a matter of seconds…sometimes it’s a matter of years.  Hope can be lost.  Hope can be found.  We can temporarily lose sight of the hope that we hold.  Hope is something that we have to focus on; something that is actually intentional.  Hope helps you keep a smile on your face when it’s raining.  Hope is a matter of perspective, but also, knowing that we are loved by the Creator of the world who only wants good for us.  With God, the hope we have has a real chance of actualizing.  Otherwise, we are just wishing for good things to happen.

God has promised us many things in His Word, and because of this it is possible for us to have hope. Our verse this week says,

… And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement
as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

However, we have to know His promises and believe His promises in order for true hope to take root in our lives.  With hope comes peace and with peace comes joy.  I feel these three things all go hand in hand.  Without one, you are missing a piece of the puzzle.  To me, hope is the foundation for peace and joy.

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Lord, help us to keep our eyes on You that our hearts may overflow with the hope that you provide us each day, and the hope that you provided us when Jesus Christ died on the Cross for us.  Help us to stay focused on You and all that You stand for.  Let us know Your Word and Your promises.  Let us believe Your Word and Your promises.  Thank You for providing us with all the necessary tools that we need in order to have hope.  In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

All Things

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvI met a woman down the street at the park where my kids play
She was living underneath the trees because it’s pretty hard to find a job these days
We talked about the ups and downs of her life
As the tears filled her eyes she smiled and said something I will never forget

That in all things, all things
Give thanks to the One
Who meets our need before we know we even need it
Because all things are all the things I just can’t handle
So I hand it to the One who takes care of all things

Tweet tweet tweet way up high in the sky fly the little birds
(Without a care in the world)
And how much more does our Father provide for the ones He loves
And I’m ashamed how I complain everyday about things that don’t matter anyway
And it makes me think of the woman down the street who said

In all things, all things
Give thanks to the One
Who meets our need before we know we even need it
Because all things are all the things I just can’t handle
So I hand it to the One who takes care of all things

To the scared soldier there on the front lines
To the cancer patient running out of time
To the father afraid he’s gonna lose it all
To the single mom who doesn’t even know where to start
To the ones who think they’re all out of hope
To the ones who know the sting of death and feel all alone
Cast your cares for He cares for us
And there’s nothing in this life that’s bigger
Bigger than His love

I have a reason to, in all things, all things
Give thanks to the One
Who meets our need before we know we even need it
Because all things are all the things I just can’t handle
So I hand it to the One who takes care of all things

All things, all things
I know You’re taking care of all things, all things
I’m gonna trust You

 Citizen Way
Written by Ben Calhoun

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And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

What a great promise from God!  Paul is writing to the believers in the Roman church, teaching them, counseling them, growing them in God’s wonderful ways.  We need to be reminded how much God gave for us.  How much He sacrificed for us to be grafted into His family, to serve Him in His command to share the good news of His great love.

Then in 2 Corinthians 9:8 we read this:

And God is able to bless you abundantly,
so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work.

How cool is that?  “All that you need“, God will bless us with it as long as we strive to do good work for the Kingdom of God.  We had some folks over to the house this past weekend.  One of the people was our youth pastor.  As my husband was introducing the various people, the pastor began to ask about a friend’s salvation status. (Do they believe, do they go to church, how have you done with sharing your beliefs….)  I think we passed with the ‘sharing’ part, but our friend has not chosen to return to church.  Sometimes all we are to do is plant the seed of Truth.  Hopefully someone else will come along and water the ‘seed’ and it will mature and become the follower God has created them to be.

Who of us has planted seeds, watered those seeds, and then helped it ripen?  Each one of us is given gifts to further the Kingdom.  Have you used yours lately?  If we do not exercise our gift, we will lose it.  God will continue to bless us with these gifts we exercise on a regular basis or He will take it and give to someone else.  I pray we will use our gifts and will ask for God to restore to us the ones we have not used in a long while.  How about you?

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Father, thank You for Your sacrifice You gave us many years ago through Your son, Jesus.  Help us to be brave and seek Your gifts and use the ones You have given us.  Give us the courage to seek Your will and not our own.  Help us to not seek approval of men, but Your approval.  Forgive us as we fail, give us the strength to succeed.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Fruit Crisp

Nothing says summer to me more than the fruits that are available just during this season!  Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches and plums; oh my!  My most favorite is cherries; I just love cherries!  They are not in season for very long so indulge while you can!  We are!

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes. This week I have a recipe for a delicious, light Fruit Crisp featuring some of these great in-season produce. Our featured ingredient(s) this week are peaches and cherries!!!  Here are a couple of links to the  nutritional value along with some incredible health benefits  of these delicious fruits (peachesand cherries)—besides the fact that they are just yummy!

2013-08-02 09.21.43

This is delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream…or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Summer Fruit Crisp

2013-08-02 09.52.20

ingredients:

3 large peaches, sliced
1 cup (18-20) cherries, pitted* and halved
1/2 cup raspberries (optional)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4  cup oats
3/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

directions:

  • preheat the oven to 375
  • cube up the butter and place in refrigerator until ready for it
  • in a baking dish or pie plate, toss the cut-up fruit with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the almond extract; set aside.
  • place the oats, 1/4 cup sugar, almond flour, cinnamon and salt into the large bowl of a food processor.  pulse a couple of times to combine.
  • add the cold butter, pulsing just until it comes together and forms clumps.  (of course, you can mix this by hand, too!)
  • mound the oat mixture on top of the prepared fruit being sure to cover it completely; bake for 35 to 40 minutes
  • serve warm or cold

*  Here is how I pitted the cherries—with a drinking straw.  Yes, ma’am!  Now I am a girl who l-o-v-e-s her gadgets!  And, of course, you can go out and buy a cherry pitter.  But sometimes simple is the better answer.  And besides, then one can save her pennies to buy an incredible kitchen tool!  ;-)

2013-08-02 09.01.35

Just do it like this:
– remove the stem from a cherry
– place the end of the straw over the indentation of the cherry
– firmly, but gently, wiggle the straw straight through the cherry; the pit will pop right out!  Easy-peasy!

 ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

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

♥  coleen

Spiritual Hope

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For everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us

so that through endurance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures

we might have hope.
Romans 15:4

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These words came as I was addressing an issue at hand.  Reference was made to that which is written in the Old Testament.  The Word of God always gives comfort and strength.  The Word of God is an oasis of hope.

Believing the Word of God and living by it takes us from the arena of hope into faith.

And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:5

That means hope never disappoints. The reason it does not disappoint is that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  Hope is one of the three creative principles of the human spirit. They are also abiding principles.

And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Meaning that when all else fails, these three principles will remain and not pass away.  They are given to us and are in our spirits.  We are to choose to act on faith, to always be hopeful towards God, and to walk in love.  Hope does not function on its own; it must be applied or acted upon.

The kind of hope that always produces results is the one that has its roots in God’s Word.  No man should hope in himself for there is no strength in such hope.  However, to hope in God is to trust entirely in Him for your provision.  Yet hope is not enough to change circumstances until its given substance.  This substance is the faith.

For faith is the substance of things hoped for….
Hebrews 11:1

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Dear heavenly Father, I declare that by the entrance of your Word in my spirit let my faith grow.  I should live by Your Word for it gives comfort and strength.  Let me not trust and hope in chariots, as some others do, but let all my hope be in You in every area of my life.  I pray all this in Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Circle of Hope

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For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction,
so that through perseverance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures

we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 NASB

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Have you ever noticed when we have God our hope is extended?  Our hope expands as we study Scripture.  The verse above breaks it down like this:

Scripture
Purpose = Instruction
Result = Hope

The purpose of Scripture is our instruction.  The Scriptures encourage us to persevere, to endure.  They offer us comfort and give us hope. Psalm 119 reiterates how closely hope is tied to the instruction of Scripture. Look at the following verses:

Do not snatch Your Word of truth from me,
for Your regulations are my only hope.
verse 43 NLT

You are my Refuge and my Shield;
Your Word is my source of hope.
verse 114 NLT

This is the circle of hope—the more we seek God through His word…the stronger our hope becomes; the stronger our hope…the more we seek God.  This serves us well in times of trouble.  Instead of being filled with despair, we can remember the nature of God and be filled with hope.  Psalm 94:19 NLT puts it this way: “When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”  And Lamentations 3:21 NASB says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope….”  When we recall the comfort and encouragement of the Scriptures, our hope abounds.

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Lord, thank You so much for the hope we find in Your Word.  Thank You for providing Scripture for my instruction.  Help me to recall Your Word when troubles abound and my hope begins to fade.  In Your holy name – Amen, it is so!

Thrive

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Here in this worn and weary land
Where many a dream has died
Like a tree planted by the water
We never will run dry

So living water flowing through
God, we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls with one desire

Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your name on high
Shine like the sun, make darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives
Its time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

Into Your word, we’re digging deep
To know our Father’s heart
Into the world, we’re reaching out
To show them who You are

Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable
Love unstoppable, anything is possible

Casting Crowns
Mark Hall, Matthew West

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How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers!
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalms 1:1-3 HCSB

With God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27 NKJ

This sounds funny but, a lot of times, God speaks to me in sound bites (think Bumblebee from Transformers).  There is some uncertainty in my life right now and “we were made to thrive” (not just the words but the actual lyric) has been popping into my mind repeatedly.  I started to wonder what it really means to thrive.

Often, ‘to thrive‘ is associated with prospering, or to prosper.  If you took a poll, most people would probably say that to ‘thrive‘ or to ‘prosper‘ means having all you need and more…being able to live comfortably and have all the extras too…blessed beyond measure.  As I read this commentary by David Guzik, I thought “what if ‘to thrive‘ isn’t just about material things but is also about digging in and maturing spiritually?”

“It isn’t that the righteous man has a “Midas Touch,” and everything he does makes him rich and comfortable. But in the life of the righteous man, God brings forth something good and wonderful out of everything. Even tough circumstances bring forth something that shall prosper.”

Mark Hall says this song  “…is an effort to draw a picture of what a believer, a follower of Jesus, would look like if they dug into their roots and understood God and themselves more.”  As I looked for Scriptures about thriving, I found most of the Old Testament Scriptures use ‘thrive‘ in the context of plants:

  • the smell of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling.
    Job 14:9 HCSB
  • …may the people thrive like grass in a field.
    Psalm 72:16 NLT
  • The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree
    Psalm 92:12 HCSB
  • Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive
    Psalm 92:13 HCSB
  • They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.
    Isaiah 44:4 NLT
  • I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured and became very beautiful.
    Ezekiel 16:7 NKJ

In these verses, ‘thrive’ seems to be related to growth.  They speak to me of being firmly planted and deeply rooted, growing even in the hardest of times.  Enduring and beautiful.  Could it be that ‘thrive’ means to grow spiritually?  In his commentary on Psalm 1, Matthew Henry calls it “soul-prosperity.”

Is it possible that the rewards—the benefits—of thriving is “joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable, love unstoppable…?” Anything is possible.