March 13, 2026

Unredeemed

March 5, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The cruelest word, the coldest heart
The deepest wound, the endless dark
The lonely ache, the burning tears
The bitter nights, the wasted years
Life breaks and falls apart but we know these are

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled, they may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed

For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke
And every life that gave up hope
We live in the shadow of the fall but the Cross says these are all

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled, it may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed

Songwriters: Chad Robert Cates / Tony W. Wood/ Brian David Petak
Performed by Selah

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“We live in the shadow of the fall BUT the Cross says these are all places where grace is soon to be so amazing!”  This—where grace is soon to be—is where I want to live…to stay…to abide.  You, too?

At the Cross, mankind was clearly shown the depth of God’s heart—His love for us. Almighty God has purposed from the beginning of time to have a relationship with the people He created.  Perhaps it appeared that because of the Fall that was not going to continue. But God’s purposes will not be thwarted.  His plans will come to pass.  It is in and through Christ’s accomplishments on the Cross that we have received much grace!

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

…Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold
from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19

That’s us (you and me)—not redeemed with perishable things…but with Jesus’ blood as He gave His life on the Cross!  Jesus’ death on the Cross, and all that God planned to bring to pass at the Cross, is all about His grace and love!  Through Jesus’ broken body and His shed blood, He redeemed us unto Himself – making us forever free, justified, forgiven, alive, purchased, and redeemed!

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—
for it is written,“Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree”—
that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13 and 14

He destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will,
to the praise of His glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:5-7

We are now, and will be for all eternity, God’s children—all to His praise and glory! And we have a glorious life to live now…in spite of every situation and circumstance that tries to break us and cause us to focus on the hard, sad, evil things that do occur at times. But God—we have His promises to cling to!

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

…Fear not, for I have redeemed you…I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
Even everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory,
whom I have formed, whom I have made.
Isaiah 43:1, 7

The love of God—shown to us through the sacrifice of Jesus our Lord—is all we need to help us to focus on the Truth and set our minds to believe all that God has promised.  In doing so, we can remain faith-filled knowing He is faithful!

[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed
that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!
Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage
and let your heart be stout and enduring.
Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.
Psalms 27:13 and 14

And so, in spite of cruel words, cold hearts, deep wounds, endless dark, lonely aches, burning tears, bitter nights, and wasted years, we press on…we seek God…we choose to remain faithful to Him because “it may be unfulfilled, it may be unrestored but you never know the miracle the Father has in store; just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed!”

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be anguish nor grief nor pain any more,
for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.
And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new.
Revelations 21:4

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

I Will Seek Your Face

March 4, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I will seek Your face, O Lord
I will seek Your face, O Lord
I will seek Your face, O Lord
I will seek Your face, O Lord

Lord, how awesome is Your presence
Who can stand in Your light
Those who by Your grace and mercy
Are made holy in Your sight

I will dwell in Your presence
All the days of my life
There to gaze upon Your glory
And to worship only You

Written by Noel and Tricia Richards
Performed by Brentwood Studio Musicians

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I was reading a book, and the author put forth the following question…it’s a biggie…ready?

“…is there anything that draws you away
from your relationship with God,
or distracts you from serving Him?”

“Anything…?”  I don’t like to admit it…to you or even to myself, honestly.  But ‘yes’ is my answer.  How about you?  Please take a few moments, right now, and consider this question.  Perhaps ask God to reveal the truth to you.

As we consider that we allow circumstances and situations to distract us from the One Who we should be seeking, I am sure your heart is saddened as mine is.  Actually, way more than sad!  My heart is sorrowful.  But, rather than just be depressed, my next thought should be (is!) “What am I going to do about that!?!”  Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us remaining in our sorrowful state of mind…He wants us to mourn our sin (of course), to repent, and CHANGE. And then to live our lives to His honor and glory!

Even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love….
Joel 2:12 and 13

As we each experience daily, there is much to distract us from focusing on our relationship with our God. From the moment our eyes open each morning, it can be a struggle to maintain the right perspective—God first.  But we CAN rise above this challenge and choose where our hearts and minds go.  For me the impetus must be seeking Him above, before, and instead of anything else.  He comes first—before anything else.  And so I need to  intentionally and purposefully seek Him.

We have the joy and the privilege of having direct access to His throne of grace! At any time during the day (or night!) we can seek our heavenly Father—and enjoy quiet time alone with Him.  David wrote about his ‘quiet time’ in the following verse.  Does God hear us expressing our hearts to Him in the same way?

In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord;
In the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You
And watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Psalm 5:3

Now, of course, that time you spend alone with Your Lord—your quiet, devotional time—is certainly not the only time to pray! Actually, I think, being intentional…seeking Him first and foremost…prepares our hearts for the rest of our day to be filled with continual little prayers and petitions directed to our God.

Be encouraged! I am sure that you already seek Him throughout your day….  How often do we go along through our day accomplishing the normal even mundane tasks talking with our Father?  Or driving (yet again) to school to pickup your children; isn’t that a great time to pray?  Or waiting for them at dance/soccer/baseball practice or music lessons/cub scout meeting/awana time/_______ (you fill in the blank); yet another small amount of time that can be eked out of your day to pray and seek Him.

Paul wrote a number of times in his letters to the Christian believers about the importance of praying.  Listen to this encouragement:

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season)
in the Spirit,with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch
with strong purpose and perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
Ephesians 6:18

Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 and 18

So we see by seeking God first and foremost, by being intentional to have a ‘quiet time’ early in our day, and seeking Him in our prayers and petitions, we will be better prepared to “pray at all times, and, keep alert and watch, and, pray without ceasing.”  We will be continually seeking Him throughout each day—thus carrying out His will!

Here is a great example of seeking Him:

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life],
Being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2

Those are some very intentional words (earnest, unwearied, steadfast, alert, intent) used in that verse, yes?  Other versions use similar words: devote, persevere, continue….

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,
but in every circumstance and in everything,
by prayer and petition (definite requests),
with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that peace]
which transcends all understanding
shall garrison and mount guard
over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6 and 7

Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord! As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

Then you will call upon Me, and you will come
and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12 and 13

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

Beauty For Ashes

March 3, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs hangs heavy o’er your head
Know that tomorrow brings wholeness and healing
God knows your need, just believe what He said

When what you’ve done keeps you from moving on
When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart
Know that forgiveness brings wholeness and healing
God knows your need just believe what He said

I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound I’ve been set free
I’ve been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see

Written by Randy Scruggs, John Thompson
Performed by Crystal Lewis, Ron Kenoly

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The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
    Because the Lord has anointed Me
To bring good news to the poor;
    He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
    And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the year of the Lord‘s favor,
    And the day of vengeance of our God;
    To comfort all who mourn;
To grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    To give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    The garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
That they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV

What a beautiful song, based on the Word of God.  Jesus came into this world to save us, not to condemn us. He came to deliver us from man made rules, our shortcomings and the self inflicted guilt and shame.

God sent His Son to live among us. To be seen, heard, and to teach about His Father’s great love and compassion for us. We are created to have a close friendship with God. God wants to be our everything. He wants to be the first one we think about running to with good news and bad…not the third or fourth person.

God will take care of those who would cause us harm, those who speak or think ill of us. God wants to bless us. But we have to be smart enough to surround ourselves with those who believe as we do—those who study God’s Word and do what He directs us to do.

God will give us the courage to embrace the role we were designed to live. He will give us the courage and the knowledge to speak when we need to, to be silent when necessary, and to reach out for help. God is in control.

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Father, thank You for Your words. Thank You for the prophets, thank You for Your people. Without them we would not have a Bible, we would not have a Savior who came down from His throne in heaven to be with us on earth. Thank You for loving us enough to be included as one of Your children. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen!!!

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

Remind Me Who I Am

March 2, 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

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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: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I AM The Bread of Life

March 1, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Then Jesus declared, “I AM the Bread of Life.
Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35 (context)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

as you prepare to hear this song,
may i suggest you close your eyes and listen to the words of Jesus   ♥

I AM the Bread of Life
All who eat this Bread will never die

I am God’s Love revealed
I am broken that you might be healed

All who eat of this Heavenly Bread
All who drink this cup of the Covenant
You will live forever
For I will raise you up

I AM the Bread of Life
All who eat this bread will never die

No one who comes to Me shall hunger again
No one who believes shall ever thirst
All that the Father draws
Shall come to Me
And I shall give them rest

I AM the Bread of Life
All who eat this bread will never die

 Singer/Songwriter:  John Michael Talbot

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

Have Everything

March 1, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The first time I met you, I was on my knees
Praying, “Lord, if You’re out there, can You speak to me?”
‘Cause I was in a desperate place
My life looked like a hurricane
The moment I felt Your grace

You can have me, You can have everything
Oh, I am Yours
Not holding on, onto anything
But Your promise, Lord
It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn
I’ve found a place where I belong
Nothing I want more than what You’ve given me
Hey, so You can have everything
You can have everything
You can have everything

You are like the sunshine in the dead of night
You’re the only one standing when my world ignites
So why would I hold anything back
‘Cause You keep my world intact
It’s true, Oh, God, it’s true, so I’ll say

Every day I’m gonna wake up,
Gonna wake up, wake up and say
You can have me, have everything

Singer/Songwriter: David Dunn along with Justin Ebach

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It’s hard for me to remember a time when I didn’t have Jesus as my Savior, my Companion, and my Rock.  I was a young child of eight when I asked Jesus to come into my heart.  I had very few hard times as a young believer and really all throughout my childhood.  He walked with me through my days and I could feel His presence.  I knew I belonged to Him and I knew that He was all that I needed.  I remember thinking, “How do people live when they don’t have Him?” Little did I know just how desperate I would feel one day…like He had left or taken a break or maybe fallen asleep on the job.  But really, it was I who had moved.

“…I was in a desperate place, my life looked like a hurricane…”  Oh, how those words described my life at times, when I had decided that I knew how to run my life better than Him.  He waited patiently, with so much grace and mercy until I once again told Him that He could have everything.  Now when my feet hit the floor, I pray a simple prayer: “Empty to fill.”

Every day is a new day.  One that is full of joy and wonder at the greatest life I could ever have.  My sweet Savior rescued me from darkness and filled me with His light and I will never be the same. What about you today?  Have you asked Jesus to be your Lord?  Have you felt His presence lately…or do you feel you have moved away a little bit? If so, all you have to do is ask Him to come into your life and live in your heart.  He is waiting for you to say, “You can have everything.”

Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:23

LORD, be gracious to us; we long for You.
Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
Isaiah 33:2

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known
through all generations.
Psalm 89:1

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Let us pray:
Dear God, thank You for giving us Your Son to be our Savior and Rock and Comforter.  Thank You for the grace and mercy that are ours through You.  When we fail and trip and stumble, Your hand is always there to pull us up.  What a privilege to be able to lay it all at Your feet, to be able to give You everything that weighs us down knowing no burden is too heavy for You.  All we have to do is ask…and trust You. You love us and You forgive us.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

This Week…I AM The Light of the World (John 8:12)

February 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Door
I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead. We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them. And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Once more Jesus addressed the crowd.
He said, I AM the Light of the world.
He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark,
But will have the Light which is Life.
John 8:12

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This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have had the joy of being reminded of our Lord’s words in John 8:12.  What encouragement to hold to His promise that if we follow Him—the Light of the World—we will not walk in the dark and will have the Light which is Life!

Please listen to some highlights of what Tina, Laura, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee……….

In I AM the Light of the World, Ann drew some parallels between what physical light IS and what Jesus, as the Light of the World, IS:

“Now Jesus is coming to tell us that He is THE Light of the world, what does that mean? This means:

  • He removes darkness and deception by illuminating the right way to God and salvation.
  • All those who follow Jesus are delivered from the darkness of sin, the world, and Satan. Those who still walk in darkness do not follow Him (John 1:6-7).
  • “Whoever follows Me…” is a present participle, depicting a continuing action—“whoever keeps on following Me…”. Jesus recognized and requires only a persevering discipleship.

Now physical light travels faster than sound, so therefore Jesus must travel fast, therefore people should receive Him in no time since He will brighten their lives immediately.”

❦

In Eternal Flashlight, Laura shared these points….

“When we accept Christ into our lives, the light is turned on for us.  We are brought out from the darkness and into the Light of Jesus.  When we decide to follow Jesus, we are no longer in the dark but are walking in the Light.  Jesus’s Light is eternal and ever-present in those who have accepted Him.  As long as we follow His Light, we will be healed and comforted.  We will not walk in darkness.  We will have life.”

❦

In Light of Lights, Cynda reminded us of the light that God provided to the children of Israel…and the relation to Jesus being our Light.

“One of the most important symbols of light in the Old Testament is the pillar of fire.  The pillar of fire is mentioned in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Nehemiah, Psalms and Revelations.

Nehemiah 9:12 (NASB) states:

…with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go.

That is what Christ does for us, He illuminates the way for us to go…IF we choose to follow. I love how John 12:46 (NLT) puts it:

‘I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world,
so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.'”

❦

In Jesus IS The Light, Tina reminded us of God’s faithfulness.

Always know that God is watchful over us.  He knows our comings and goings, He knows our needs now, just as then.  He will always be a Light to us in our world. When we seek His ways and obey His words we will have His Light in all areas of our minds. We will never have those dark places unless we let it back in.

❦

In Follow The Light, Ahmee also encouraged us to remember to follow…

“…Jesus is important to us; especially when it comes to navigating this dark world.  We do not have to aimlessly wonder around the world, merely existing and lost.  God will show us what we need to do.  God will show us where we need to be.  The key is to follow Him.  If God goes left and we go right, are we really following Him?  No.  Therefore, if He is not in the lead, then our Light is not in front of us, we cannot see.  We must face the Light at all times, and stay with Him for the Light to be of use to us.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

We have no reason to wander.  No reason to be scared.  With one simple action we can help ourselves.  Follow the Light.  He will lead you.”

❦

Have you had the opportunity to read through each of these blogposts this week?  If not, I would encourage you to do so!  Our bloggers have made these as well as some other wonderful points to direct us towards Jesus, Who is The Light of the World.

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

Strawberry Shortcake (Gluten-Free)

February 27, 2015 by

Strawberry-Shortcake-Whole-300x199This is a recipe I shared here on GCH 2 years ago.  I love it and plan on making it soon.  Spring can’t come soon enough for me, and I look forward to farmer’s markets brimming with fresh berries!  If you can’t wait either, read on for my Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake!

Strawberry-Shortcake-Cut

 

Strawberry Shortcake (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter), softened
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (or regular milk)
  • 1/4 cup honey (or more, if you like)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 2 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced thin
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional – 1 or 2 teaspoons sugar (I didn’t use them, since my berries were really sweet. If your strawberries aren’t as sweet as you’d like, add the sugar to the whipping cream)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, and then cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom of each pan, and grease that too. (You can do this without parchment paper, but you will need to be really liberal with the coconut oil / butter / cooking spray on the bottom of the pan. The cake stuck the first time I made it, so the next time I used parchment paper, and it was perfect!)
  2. In a very large bowl, using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the eggs until frothy. Beat in the softened coconut oil and milk, blending well. Mix in the honey, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice. Beat until foamy again.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Then, a little at a time, blend the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps.
    Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. When a toothpick comes out dry, remove from the oven and cool for ten minutes. Remove from pans, and finish cooling on a rack.
  4. While the cake is cooling, place the beaters of your hand mixer and a metal mixing bowl in the freezer for half an hour. Slice the strawberries and put back in the fridge until ready to use.
    When the beaters and bowl are very cold, beat the whipping cream with the vanilla (and optional sugar) until stiff peaks form. To decorate: spread a very thin layer of whipped cream on the top of one cake. Make concentric circles of strawberry slices (use half the strawberries, saving the other half for the top), then cover with a thick layer of whipped cream. Place the other cake on top of this, cover with the rest of the whipped cream and the rest of the strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is not a very sweet cake, since it relies on the berries for sweetness. If your berries are not sweet enough for your taste, you can add more honey to the cake, and the optional sugar to the whipped cream.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

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

Follow the Light

February 27, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Door
I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

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Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I AM the Light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness
but will have the Light of life.”
John 8:12

God makes a lot of promises and (unlike human promises) He keeps each one.  God created the very things we need to sustain physical life.  We find our purpose in this God.  We are meant to live our lives for this God.  Everything we are, and everything we will be, should be for Him and His glory.

The Bible is about this God we don’t see, but Who we can know oh, so intimately.  We have the privilege of getting to know the Creator of the world.  He tells us very clearly all about Himself in His “I AM” statements.  Thankfully, we don’t have to guess about the Lord of all Creation.

Jesus said He is the Light of the World.  Light emphasizes the details of things and promotes clarity.  We spend a majority of our time in the light.  During the day we have the sun, during the night we have electricity.  Most people don’t just sit in the dark.  If they do, typically something is wrong.  I don’t like the light when I have a migraine because it’s too bright and makes the pain worse.  When people are sad or depressed you might find them sitting in the dark.  People refer to bad times as “dark times.”

Light is important to us.  Jesus said He is the Light of the World. Therefore, Jesus is important to us; especially when it comes to navigating this dark world.  We do not have to aimlessly wonder around the world, merely existing and lost.  God will show us what we need to do.  God will show us where we need to be.  The key is to follow Him.  If God goes left and we go right, are we really following Him?  No.  Therefore, if He is not in the lead, then our Light is not in front of us, we cannot see.  We must face the Light at all times, and stay with Him for the Light to be of use to us.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

We have no reason to wander.  No reason to be scared.  With one simple action we can help ourselves.  Follow the Light.  He will lead you.

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

Broken Vessels

February 26, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see

All these pieces
Broken and scattered
In mercy gathered
Mended and whole
Empty handed
But not forsaken
I’ve been set free
I’ve been set free

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found…was blind but now I see
Oh, I can see You now
Oh, I can see the love in Your eyes
Laying Yourself down
Raising up the broken to life

You take our failure
You take our weakness
You set Your treasure
In jars of clay
So take this heart, Lord
I’ll be Your vessel
The world to see
Your life in me

Temree Miller along with SaddleBack Worship
Written by Joel Houston and Jonas Myrin

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Such grace…such amazing grace!!!

How blessed are we {mankind} to have been shown such love and grace by Almighty God that He would give us the gift of grace through the awesome, incredible gift of His Son? !! ?

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.
For if through the offence of one many be dead,
much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace,
which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Romans 5:15

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9

This is amazing grace!  That we…dead in our trespasses and our sins, without hope, destined for eternal damnation…have been redeemed, saved, set apart, made alive, raised up, seated in heavenly places!

He <Jesus>appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles,
and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain;
but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:8-10

The apostle Paul was a man who always purposed to magnify God and speak well of the grace he had received.

…and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost,
Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example
to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:14-16

In all of Paul’s encouragement and admonition through each of the Epistles, he wrote over and over again to the first century believers of the greatness of God’s grace. Paul seemed always to endeavor to help the people (and us, too!) to remain aware and thankful for God’s grace!

According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In whom we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;
Ephesians 1:4-7

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I pray for each of us that our hearts will cry out every day with praise and acknowledgment of His great grace to us. And that we, like our brother Paul, would share this with others.

Come and hear, all you who reverently and worshipfully fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for me!
Psalm 66:16

Amazing grace!
How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see…

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