May 19, 2024

Trust and Thank God

November 26, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Do not be anxious or worried about anything,
but in everything [every circumstance and situation]
by prayer and petition with thanksgiving,
continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
Philippians 4:6 AMP 

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

What is worry? What are we saying to God when we choose to worry and fret over a situation? Are we saying we do not trust Him to care? Are we saying this situation is too small for You to handle, I do not want to bother you with it? Yes, my friend we are. Just as you would go to a friend, or mentor, or mom, and tell them what is going one, God wants us to go to Him and cast our problems and lay them down at His feet. We are to ask for wisdom, grace, and the ability to know when we should act or wait.

God loves us with a pure, holy heart. He knows our lives. He knows what makes us go, He knows what will break us, He knows what will make our heart soar! But do we, with all the clutter we allow in and do not push out? We only have to give it all to Jesus and God will shows us the way.

This is my prayer through song for you, please enjoy.  Give me Jesus!

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Jesus
Give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
Oh, when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Jesus

written by Jeremy Camp

 

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You Have Been So Good

November 26, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You have been so good
You have been so good to me
In my faithless hour
You’ve been my strength
You are my tower
From the enemy
You have been so good
So good to me

Your hand is always faithful
Your mercy never ends
And when I feel unable
Your grace is there again

You chose me with my weakness
And all my sins forgave
I’ve nothing to repay You
So all that I can say

Lenny Leblanc, singer/songwriter

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Today is a day when many folks recognize the importance of being thankful.  As Christians, we are to have a life full of expressing our gratitude and thanks to our heavenly Father.  I think that the words of this beautiful song sing out our praise and gratitude for God’s overwhelming goodness.

You have been so good
You’ve been my strength
You are my tower
You chose me with my weakness
Your hand is always faithful
Your mercy never ends
Your grace is there again

We are so very thankful for God’s constant goodness to us, His children.  Truly, can you think of anything else that can so change your heart’s attitude more than being thankful?  Websters 1828 Dictionary (one of my favorite references) defines thankful as ‘grateful; impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.’  Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar…similar to a praise the Psalmist wrote:

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2

I think  Mr. Webster’s definition clearly shows that thankfulness is both thought and action—you ‘sense’ being blessed AND you ‘acknowledge’ it.  Here’s a great example:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before His presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!
It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]!
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!
Be thankful and say so to Him,
bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalm 100

The Psalmist was confessing—remembering—just a few things he was grateful for, AND voicing his gratitude  ‘for the Lord is good‘.   To remember is ‘…to bear in mind; to keep, consider, meditate.’ We can—we should—do the same!  We have oh-so-very-much to be thankful for, amen?  We have so very many memories of God’s abundant goodness to us, true?  We can sing…

I will thank Yahweh with all my heart;
I will declare all Your wonderful works.
Psalm 9:1

Listen to the some of the things that David remembers the Lord did for him and the beautiful way he voices his thankfulness here in Psalm 30:

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me.
O Lord, You have brought my life up from Sheol (the place of the dead)
Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
By Your favor, O Lord, You have established me as a strong mountain;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication.
Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me;
To the end that my tongue and my heart
and everything glorious within me
may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

We have oh-so-very-much to thank our great God for…so many ways in which He has been so good to us!  Today, of course, as you gather with friends and loved ones…but each day, every day tell Your Father how very grateful you are for His goodness, for His protection, for His healing, for His deliverance, for His provision, for His admonition, for His guidance, for His love, grace and mercy!  And give Him much thanks!

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…
Psalms 107:1 and 2

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Anxiety

November 25, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Do not be anxious about anything
but in everything
by prayer and petition with thanksgiving
present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Brethren, the essential cure for worry is prayer.  And here are the  following reasons… Through prayer

1) we renew our trust in the Lord’s faithfulness by casting all our anxieties and problems on Him who cares for us

 

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

Matthew 6:25 – 34

2) God’s peace comes to guard our hearts and minds as a result of our communion with Christ Jesus

Then God’s peace,
which goes far beyond anything we can imagine,
will guard your hearts and minds
in union with the Messiah Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on You,
    because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3

Colossians 3:15

3) God strengthens us to do all the things He desires of us

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

4) we receive mercy grace and help in time of need

Therefore let us draw near with confidence
to the throne of grace,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

5) we are assured that in all things God works for our good

I am not saying this because I am in any need,
for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in.
Philippians 4:11

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

Therefore, I urge each one of us not to murmur and worry when we face the  adversaries of this life.  Take it to God in prayer.  He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  And there is nothing hard for him.  All things are possible.  Remember He has all the power to change any situation.  He was able to part the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through; is it impossible for Him to take care of that problem you have?  He was able to calm the storms; do you think He can’t calm your storms?  Remember He never changes.  He is always the same… yesterday, today, and forever.  Whatever He says He will do, He will do it.  He said to cast all your cares to Me and I will take care of you.  And He will.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Lord, we bless You, we glorify Your Name for there is not any other God besides You.  You are the great I AM, the immortal, the  invisible, the One who is sovereign.  We bless You for You are God. We thank You for the everlasting love and mercy You shower upon us. We give You all the praise, Lord.  Thank You for Your Word that shows us Your lovingkindness for as long as You shall take care of our petitions; we see Your greatness, dear Lord. We thank You for taking care of our anxieties.  Help us, Lord, to trust You with our lives and everything about us more and more in Jesus’ name.  We give You all the praise and all the glory.  Thank You, Father, for answering our prayers.  In Jesus’ name I have prayed.  Amen.

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Thankful Heart

November 25, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

My open hands receive blessings You pour out on me
Your tender care restores my soul
Your faithfulness endures, as mercy covers all my sin
Your perfect love has made me whole
Beyond the words I’m searching for
I long to give You something more

Here’s my thankful heart, thankful heart
Offered up in gratitude for all You’ve done for me
Here’s my thankful heart, thankful heart
Offered up in praise to You

I’m unworthy of the gift of Your unfailing love
But You embrace me as I am
You provide my needs, and raise a harvest from the seeds I sow in vain
I bless Your Name
Beyond the words I’m searching for
I long to give You so much more

From the raising of the sun
‘Til it’s going down
The name of the Lord be praised

Written by Gary Forsythe

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

We can offer up our thankful hearts to our ABBA Father at any time; while

  • taking a walk along a path outside
  • singing praises with our church family
  • raking leaves (or shoveling snow!)
  • shopping for our family’s groceries
  • sharing our Thanksgiving meal with those who don’t have close family
  • getting our tasks at work accomplished
  • driving home…and being held up by traffic
  • sitting in His presence during our ‘quiet time’

The vital point is THAT we DO give praise to Him out of the abundance of our thankful hearts!!!

Listening to this sweet song, this is my oh-so-very-favorite part:

Beyond the words I’m searching for I long to give You so much more….

How about you…do you ever find yourself exclaiming similar thoughts to God?  Oh, I do!  So often I am simply without adequate words to tell God all that is in my heart! (As if He does not already know!!!)  But I am encouraged that He wants us (you and me!) to come to Him with all that is in our little hearts…what a kind, compassionate, loving Father!

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to You!
Psalm 102:1

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out Your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.  Selah
Psalm 62:8

…Unto You will I sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises to You,
And my inner being, which You have redeemed.
My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long….
Psalms 71:22-24

A big key to heartfelt praise and thanksgiving is to recognize where we were before God saved us through His grace and love.  Truly we were in a desperate situation. You could not save yourself from God’s righteous judgment.  But God sent His Son, to save you—to save all mankind!—by His grace.  Because now you have experienced His great love and grace, you delight in Him and His great salvation and you can’t help but sing for joy!  May I encourage you, friends, to never hesitate…never hold back…never deny yourself the joy of singing praises to our Almighty God!

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Psalms 33:1-5

While studying through Psalm 33, I read Matthew Henry’s Commentary.  Here is a portion of what he wrote, “What a pity it is that this earth, which is so full of God’s goodness <verse 5>, should be so empty of His praises, and that of the multitudes that live upon His bounty there are so few that live to His glory!”

I hope that will not be said of us. As God’s “righteous ones,” let’s be all about offering up our thankful hearts through our praise and songs of joy.  Our lives are the proof that He delivers our souls from death. Our response should be to praise Him with thankful hearts.

Remember that line of this song that I shared I just love so much—Beyond the words I’m searching for I long to give You so much more—perhaps the words of the psalmist in Psalm 138 can help to express them.  These are my prayer; maybe yours, too.

I give You thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the gods.
I bow before Your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise Your name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness;
For Your promises are backed
by all the honor of Your name.
As soon as I pray, You answer me;
You encourage me by giving me strength.
Every king in all the earth will thank You, Lord,
for all of them will hear Your words.
Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
for the glory of the Lord is very great.
Though the Lord is great, He cares for the humble,
but He keeps His distance from the proud.
Though I am surrounded by troubles,
You will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out Your hand,
and the power of Your right hand saves me.
The Lord will work out His plans for my life—
for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for You made me.
Psalm 138 NLT

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Gingerbread Cupcakes

November 24, 2015 by

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year, Robert and I are hosting the Feast at our home, so mine is the turkey to prepare (I always use Alton Brown’s Brined Turkey recipe), along with gluten-free gravy and the stuffing (see my recipe I shared here a couple of weeks ago).   My daughter, Kassia and her mother-in-law Mary Ann are divvy-ing up the sides and salads!  And we each are making a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes are my contribution.  Oh, they are so darling!  And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

For those of you who are just beginning to follow the path of gluten-free baking, try this recipe.  When I first made these cupcakes, I used a ‘gf all-purpose flour blend.’ You can pick up a box in the gluten-free section of almost any grocery store. However, if you have a pantry filled with jars of different gluten-free flours, I used ** 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup hazelnut flour).  Note that these cupcakes are dairy-free if you prepare them with coconut oil…and of course no whipped cream!

This is a quick recipe to pull together…and the mini-cupcakes only take 10-12 minutes to bake.  We will have ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe  here).  But they are equally yummy with a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream frosting, too.  Enjoy!

2014-11-29 22.51.34

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

ingredients:
1+1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend **(see above)
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

directions:

  • set out the butter (or coconut oil) and egg to come to room temperature
  • fill muffin/cupcake tins with liners (mini = 30; regular = 12)
  • preheat oven to 350
  • mix flour(s) and spices together in a small bowl
  • with mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil) and sugar
  • add egg, then molasses; beating ‘til nice and creamy
  • microwave the water in a measuring cup ‘til boiling; remove and <carefully> stir in the baking soda; set aside to cool slightly
  • add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute ‘til it all comes together
  • continue to blend while pouring in the water; beat for an additional minute or so (batter will seem thin but it very quickly thickens up)
  • fill lined cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter
  • bake minis for 10-12 minutes (regular-sized for 20 minutes), or ‘til firm to the touch and slightly browned
  • take pan from oven and immediately remove cupcakes to a cooling rack
  • once completely cool, frost as desired

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

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

♥  coleen

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My Story

November 24, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

If I told you my story,
You would hear hope, that wouldn’t let go
and if I told you my story,
you would hear Love that never gave up
and if I told you my story,
you would hear Life, but it wasn’t mine

If I should speak, then let it be
of the grace that is Greater than all my sin
of when justice was served, and where mercy wins!
of the kindness of Jesus, that draws me in
oh to tell you my story, is to tell of Him

If I told you my story,
you would hear victory over the enemy
and if I told you my story,
you would hear freedom that was won for me
and if I told you my story,
you would hear Life Overcome the grave

This is my story, this is my song
praising my Savior, all the day long
this is my story, this is my song
praising my Savior, all the day long

for the grace that is Greater, than all my sin
of where justice was served, and where mercy wins!
of the kindness of Jesus, that draws me in
o to tell you my story,
is to tell of the grace that is Greater, than all my sin
of where justice was served, and mercy wins!

of the kindness of Jesus, that draws me in
oh to tell you my story, is to tell of Him
oh to tell you my story, is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long

Big Daddy Weave
written by Jason Ingram and Mike Weaver

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

This is the time of year when we, as a nation, take time to focus on what we are thankful for.  We have—this beautiful land in which we live, our freedom to vote, our freedom to worship, our families, our friends, our jobs, and so much more.  We should be full of thanksgiving to our Lord, because He is the Provider of all good things.

And God will generously provide all you need.
Then you will always have everything you need
and plenty left over to share with others…
For God is the One who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat.
In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources
and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
2 Corinthians 9:8-10

The greatest gift that we should be thankful for is our salvation.  We have salvation when we don’t have freedom.  We have salvation when we don’t have family or friends.  We have salvation when we are out of work and have no income.  We have salvation even when we are in a Third World country.  Our salvation is not dependent on any of these things.

But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food.
Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.
For God the Father has given Me the seal of His approval.
John 6:27

You see, it’s really Jesus’ story for which I am most thankful.  Our salvation is dependent on Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross for us, each of us…not just a select few.  His provision to save us gives us grace, love, hope, life.  It gives us victory over the enemy, and freedom.  Out of His kindness, out of His story comes my story.  I have no story to tell if it were not for Jesus being willing to do His Father’s will and come to earth to live and die and be raised again to new life.

God saved you by His grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

I can and want to praise my Savior “all the day long.”

  • He gave His love, which never gives up.
  • He provides hope, which won’t let go.
  • He gave His life, so I could have mine.

Oh, the kindness of the Lord compels me to tell/sing of His grace and mercy, which always wins!

In His kindness, God called you to share
in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:10

What are you thankful for during this Thanksgiving season?  Is your list long?  What’s at the top of that list? I’m praying that your salvation is number one.  I’m praying that your story is not based on the things you are thankful for, but on the One you are thankful to.  Tell me your story; I’d love to hear you tell me about Jesus.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

With great thanksgiving, Lord, we come to You.  We come with our hearts bursting with the love and joy we have for You, knowing that all good things come from You.  Thank You for all of Your blessings.  We also come to thank You for our salvation.  Thank You, Jesus, for obeying Your Father’s will, so that we can experience new life with You.  The details of our individual stories may look different, but the truth of our stories is that it is Your story.  We are privileged to share Your Good News with others.  Help us by Your Holy Spirit to praise You all the day long so that others will hear Your story and come to You.  In Jesus’ Precious Name we pray, Amen.

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This Week…Psalms 136:1-3

November 20, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalms 136:1-3

*   ~   ♥   ~    ✞    ~   ♥   ~   *

Here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we are focusing our thoughts for the next few weeks on giving thanks, gratitude, and being thankful.  This week our devotional writers have been so encouraging in reminding us that about our good God—Whose faithful love endures forever.  Please click on the indivdual links to read each complete devotional; here are a few excerpts from their thoughts….

In God’s Goodness, Ann wrote about our good God Whose love endures forever…

“This repeated refrain ‘His love endures forever‘ teaches us that God’s love is the foundation for all His actions on our behalf and the fountainhead of all our thanksgiving.  His love includes His mercy,  His faithfulness, and His kindness.  God, by His nature, is good.  We are seeing His love always.  He sent His Son to die for us…”.

❦

In Aware of Being Thankful, Tina  encouraged us to recognize the opportunities we have to be thankful (and say so)…

“Everyday, every morning, before our feet touch the ground, we should give thanks to God for a new day, a new opportunity to praise and serve Him.  As we do this, our hearts will change, we will grow stronger in our faith walk…”.

❦

In Steadfast, Cynda defined the word for us and gave us a broader understanding of God’s steadfast love…

“I don’t know about you, but there is nothing in my life, outside of God’s love, that is immovable…not subject to change…resolutely firm and unwavering.  Life seems to be constant change. How wonderful it is to know God’s love remains firm…”.

❦

In What If, Ahmee shared a childhood game and the perspective it placed on thinking about God’s faithful love…

“Remembering that made me think…

  • What if God’s love did not endure forever?
  • What if God was not the only True God?
  • What if God’s love were not faithful?

Could you even begin to fathom what our lives would be like if God was not the way He is?..”.

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Lift Your Head, Weary Sinner

November 20, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Lift your head, weary sinner, the river’s just ahead
Down the path of forgiveness salvation’s waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10,000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high

If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide

All who’ve strayed and walked away, unspeakable things you’ve done
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come, all saints and sinners, you can’t outrun God
Whatever you’ve done can’t overcome the power of the Blood

If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide

David Crowder Band
Songwriters: Ed Cash, David Crowder, Seth Philpott

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

One thing that we try to teach our children is that you always walk with your head held high.  Be proud of who you are.  We also teach them that there will be times in life when our actions or choices make this hard.  We will be weighed down by the impact of something we’ve said or done…and we can’t hold up our heads.  We feel as if the stares and whispers of others are directed at us.  We feel shame and guilt for something we are responsible for.  The first line of this song always grabs me… “Lift your head, weary sinner”… Maybe we’re not even aware that we are living life with our head down OR maybe it’s painfully obvious.

This song refers to the prodigal son, a situation we each have been familiar with at one point in time.  We have all been the prodigal daughter, and we all need to hear these words from time to time… “Lift your head, weary sinner”…  And I also try to remember the words of Romans 8:38-39:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we seek forgiveness and when our eyes are fixed on God, nothing can stand between us and Him.  His “gates of glory [are] opened wide“.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s Pray: Lord, there are times when we feel that we have turned so far away from You that it may seem as if we cannot turn back.  But Lord, through this song and through Your Word, you have reminded us that nothing can separate us from Your love.  Thank You for this.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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I Stand In Awe

November 19, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
And who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
And who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God, to Whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

 The Acts Church Worship Team
written by Mark Altrogge

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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

Recently, I have been RE-reminded of the importance and immense value of purposefully seeking our God. It should go without saying that it is such a deep need of our hearts to intentionally remove ourselves from our day-to-day surroundings (with the inherent distractions that come along with that) and quietly be in His presence.

There is no greater example (that I can recall) of someone who recognized the need and importance of seeking God and spending time in His presence than our Lord Jesus.  Throughout the Gospels, we read of many times when Jesus purposefully withdrew from His disciples, and from ministering to the needs of the people, and went to pray.  We see how valuable it was to Him to be alone with His Father, seeking Him, and spending time in His presence.

And in the morning, long before daylight,
He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.
Mark 1:35

And after He had taken leave of them, He went off into the hills to pray.
Mark 6:46

But He Himself withdrew to the wilderness (desert) and prayed.
Luke 5:16

Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray,
and spent the whole night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Within the context of each of these glimpses into Jesus’ life, we observe that He:

  • before even beginning His day, went and prayed
  • in the midst of trying circumstance, went to be alone with God in
  • preparation for important decisions, got alone with His Father and prayed
  • after much time ministering to people and teaching them, left and sought God and prayed

How much more do we need to emulate His heart in recognizing our great need to be alone with our heavenly Father, seeking Him, and praying?

Perhaps the most poignant example that Jesus left us is His time seeking His Father in prayer just prior to His betrayal and arrest in the garden of Gethsemane.

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told His disciples, Sit down here while I go over yonder and pray. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed. Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me. And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, What! Are you so utterly unable to stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again a second time He went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, Your will be done. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were weighed down with sleep. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, using the same words.

Matthew 26:36-44

Words escape me to express how deeply I recognize my Lord’s awareness of His need of His Father at this incredibly stress-filled, sorrowful time! But my heart is convicted and reminded of my own need to do the same! If Jesus, the Perfect Man, who was totally without sin and always able to rise above any temptation, so needed this time seeking His Father…then I am without excuse to ever think I do not need the same…and much, much more!

How very blessed we are to know that this is God’s Will…that He desires us to seek Him…that He is always available to us…that our yearning hearts will always be welcomed into His presence. How very thankful we are to know that through His suffering, persecution, death and resurrection, Jesus—our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord and Master—has broken down any barrier between us and Almighty God, and made it available for us to approach His Throne of grace!

But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away,
through the blood of Christ have been brought near.
For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony).
By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law
with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two
might create in Himself one new man, so making peace.
And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off
and [peace] to those who were near.
For it is through Him that we…now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit
to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him].
Ephesians 2:13-18

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Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  Express your needs as well as the praise and adoration that is in your heart!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

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

God’s Goodness

November 19, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
Psalms 136:1-3

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This repeated refrain ‘His love endures forever‘ teaches us that God’s love is the foundation for all His actions on our behalf and the fountainhead of all our thanksgiving.  His love includes His mercy,  His faithfulness, and His kindness.  God, by His nature, is good.  We are seeing His love always.  He sent His Son to die for us (John 3:16).  All for His love for us—the love that endures forever.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of His unfailing love.
Psalm 33:5

Being full of His unfailing love means not ever reaching a point of lack in all aspects of life because He is giving Himself fully to us.  It is only  when we realize this kind of love and meditate on this kind of love that we appreciate how deep the Father’s love is for us, how incredibly vast beyond measure.

Our God loves us with all His heart.  Let us reciprocate by loving Him,  too, with our inner being.  Let us not live a life that displeases Him but rather a life that is set on pleasing Him.

Some people depend on chariots, substituting other gods for the One True God.  Remember God is the only One who is good.

“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied.
“There is only One who is good.
If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.
Matthew 19:17

I just love how He loves us all! Even those that are living in sin He still loves them because He created them.  However there is judgement to them that are not in Christ Jesus. And those that are in Christ Jesus they testify of His love that endures forever for they shall not be judged and so the joys shall never cease.

Therefore let us choose, brethren, to live a life that pleases the Lord. We should love Him for He first loved us.  We should also exercise the same love and goodness to others for we are created in His own image and likeliness.  There has to be no difference.

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Father, we give You all the praise and all the glory for You are the great God, the ‘I AM who I AM,’ the all-knowing and always present God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.  The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, dear Lord, and so we worship You.  Heavenly father, thank You for showing us Your goodness and mercy that endures forever in Your Scripture.  We love You and adore You; and thank You for the love that is given to us.  We pray for forgiveness for at times we have taken Your love for granted.  Teach us to appreciate Your love more and more.  And to love others and do good to them.  We adore You and give You thanks; in Jesus’ name we have prayed. Amen.

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