March 14, 2026

Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus

December 3, 2014 by

 

SHhopeadventI wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
I say, more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness,
and with Him is plenteous redemption.
And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Psalms 130:5-8

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

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

When Hope Came Down

December 2, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

So this is how it was
a silent night like any other
When heaven sent the One
the One we would call our Savior
And redemption began
in a stable in Bethlehem

All of the angels lifted up their voices
and filled the night with hallelujahs
God is with us now
Everyone come and join the heavenly chorus
Our Savior King is here before us
O to hear the sound
The song creation sang when Hope came down

So this was truly God
wrapped up in a tattered blanket
Hope was finally here
sleeping while the world awakened
And redemption began
with a baby in Bethlehem

So let us sing redemption songs
Let us worship Christ the Holy One
We were lost but we were found
When Hope came down

Words and Music by Chris Eaton ~~ Sung by Kari Jobe

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Glory to God in the highest
And on earth peace among men
with whom He is pleased.
Luke 2:14

God sent us His only begotten Son. To save us. Not to confuse us, not to manipulate us, but to save us. No matter what has happened in our lives, God is faithful to save us. All we have to do is call out His name, to cry out to our Abba Father. Listen to the words of this song and feel God’s hope, joy, and acceptance. There is never a wrong time to ask Jesus to come and live in our hearts, whether we are new believers or someone who has believed for many years. Our hearts need to be stirred by the Holy Spirit.

 

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

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

December 1, 2014 by

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up all of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year I was happy to prepare a side dish (Quinoa Veggie Salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette), the beverages (one <adult> choice of which was Apple Cider Sangria), and a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes. Oh, they were so darling! And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

2014-11-27 13.11.15

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 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 only takes 10-12 minutes to bake. We enjoyed ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe from last week’s blogpost here).  But they would be 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 **
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4T 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
  • 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 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

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

With Every Act Of Love

December 1, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Sitting at the stoplight
He can’t be bothered by the heart-cry
Written on the cardboard in her hand
But when she looks him in the eye
His heart is broken open wide
And he feels the hand of God reach out through him
As Heaven touches earth

Oh – we bring the Kingdom come
Oh – with every act of love
Jesus, help us carry You
Alive in us, Your light shines through
With every act of love
We bring the Kingdom come

There’s silence at the table
He wants to talk but he’s not able
For all the shame that’s locked him deep inside
But her words are the medicine
When she says they can begin again
And forgiveness will set him free tonight
As Heaven touches earth

God put a million, million doors in the world
For His love to walk through
One of those doors is you
I said, God put a million, million doors in the world
For His love to walk through
One of those doors is you

Singer/Songwriter Jason Gray along with Jason Ingram

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *  

As I was listening to these lyrics, I realized that there is one act of love…in my opinion the greatest act of love…that makes all this possible. The one time that Heaven came to earth—the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

Look at the following verses:

Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth,
while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:47 NLT

He Who comes from above (heaven) is [far] above all [others];
he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth,
and talks the language of earth [his words are from an earthly standpoint].
He Who comes from heaven is [far] above all others.
John 3:31 AMP

Christ came from Heaven for us.  No other reason.  He brought His Kingdom to earth so that we might join Him one day in Heaven.  Because He did, we who believe have Christ within us.  We can let His light shine through us.  In fact, 1 Corinthians 15:49 (AMP) states:  “And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven.”

In Zechariah 7:9 (HCSB) we are given these instructions:

The Lord of Hosts says this: ‘Make fair decisions.
Show faithful love and compassion to one another.

And 2 Thessalonians 3:5a (AMP) says:

May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God….

When we reach out with Christ’s unconditional love we bring a piece of Heaven to earth. It doesn’t have to be a big production. Simple words of kindness and forgiveness can have a huge impact. A small gesture like a smile or a touch could change a life. It is in the acts that come from the heart that others are able to see Christ’s heart. John 13:35 (HCSB) states: “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” And, of course, Matthew 25:40 (HCSB) reminds us:

And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you:
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

I want to carry Jesus alive in me. I want His light to shine through. I want to be the bridge that allows Heaven to touch earth once again.

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *  

Abba, I am so amazed by Your selfless act of unconditional, unfailing love. Let me carry You alive in me, allowing Your light to shine through me. Remind me that with every act of love, Heaven touches earth. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen – IT IS SO!

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

Advent, Week One ~ Hope

November 30, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

The first week of the Advent season is to acknowledge Hope.  Hope is where we realize that God will always fulfill His promises. It does not mean we will not see troubles, but we will see God’s best, as long as we seek His will first. As we celebrate this Christmas season, let’s just forget the political correctness…let us worship and proclaim our Savior’s birth as never before!

As I researched Advent, I came across this devotional. The link is located at the end of this blog. Please feel free to use this throughout the coming season.

Lighting of the Candle

[As someone lights the first purple candle, the following should be read or paraphrased.]

We light this candle because, like God’s people centuries ago, we also look forward with hope to the coming of the Shepherd. The purple color of the candle reminds us of the seriousness of our hope.

Psalms 80:1-7
In this psalm, we join the people of Israel as they invite God, their Shepherd, to save and to restore them.

Isaiah 40:1-11
This passage looks ahead to the coming of the Lord, Who will care for His people like a shepherd.

Revelation 7:9-17
Like God’s people before the coming of Christ, we also look ahead to the time when Christ, who is both the Lamb and our Shepherd, will finish His work and “God will wipe away every tear” from our eyes.

Prayer of Hope
[To be read or paraphrased]

Dear God, as we light this candle, we hope for Your coming as our Good Shepherd. Please gather us in Your arms, feed us with spiritual food, wipe away every tear from our eyes, and “let Your face shine, that we may be saved.” Come, our Shepherd! Amen.

 

{ Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/advent-devotional-guide-preparing-for-the-coming-of-christ/#ixzz3KUfQx5uJ }

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

Worthy Is The Lamb

November 30, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Thank You for the Cross, Lord
Thank You for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came and gave amazing grace

Thank You for this love, Lord
Thank You for the nail-pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the Throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious

High and lifted up
Jesus, Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

 Singer/ Songwriter: Darlene Zschech along with Hillsong United

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

While we sit around our tables filled with family, food, and just pure joy, are we thinking of the Blesser? So many times, I know, I take it all for granted. And He, with all His mercy and grace, forgives me because He knows my heart and He knows yours, too. And because He lives, we can face anything and we can praise Him in the midst.

But before He could rise from the grave, He had to carry that heavy, wooden cross along a treacherous path. All the while knowing that the end result would be His death. Our sins are forever forgiven and all our debt is paid. There is nothing more worthy of thanks, and no One more worthy of praise.

Does it hit you sometimes, out of nowhere? Tears fall, chill bumps cover and my spirits soar, and I really want to take my hands off the steering wheel and just all out praise Him. Today was one of those moments. I see His handiwork all around, the beautiful sound with calm waters and pelicans flying and the sun is high with few clouds and I am humbled.

The Creator of all of this loves me!
His Son loves you!
And, yes, we have so much to be thankful for!

He came as a baby, He lived the same life that we do, preparing the way for us to be victorious, and ultimately to live with Him in Heaven. Aren’t you amazed? I know I am. We serve an amazing God! Will you sit still today and let this really sink in? Let His love wash over you and His grace rain down on you and just enjoy Him loving you?? Join me today as we end the Thanksgiving week and begin the month of His birth day. Prepare your hearts to just receive all He has for you…blessings upon blessings…for you..from Him.  Do you believe?

They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound on His side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. Then He said to Thomas, “Put your fingers here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.”
John 20:25-29

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:

Oh Lord, You are so much more than we can ever imagine.  You are awesome and all mighty and full of love and kindness.  Your grace amazes me and Your love fulfills. You made the ultimate sacrifice for us—Your own Son—to suffer with each nail that pierced Him…all for us, Your children.  How can we really ever thank You enough? Truth is we cannot.  Help us remain faithful and steadfast.  Give us the endurance that we need to withstand all the hard things on this side of Heaven. For this is not our permanent home, but help us to leave a legacy here for others to see and to know You personally.  Thank You for this time with our families.  And for those that are lonely this season, keep them ever so close.  Wrap Your arms around them and let them feel Your presence.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

The One That Thanked Jesus

November 28, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

And as He went to Jerusalem, it just so happened that He went through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain village, ten lepers met Him, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, pity us.” And seeing them, He said to them,”Go show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened, as they went, that they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and glorified God with a loud voice. And he fell down on his face at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. And answering, Jesus said. “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were none found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him,”Rise and go, your faith has cured you.”

Luke 17:11-19

This story is quite simple to understand… As Jesus was passing between Galilee and Samaria, He saw ten leper coming toward Him, begging Him for mercy and healing.  So Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests (which was a prerequisite to be declared clean and free from leprosy).  And, as the ten of them ran off, they were healed!  But, can you believe out of the ten, only one—a Samaritan—came back and praised Him.

Aren’t we guilty of this?  God blesses us a thousand times and we forget to thank Him and we find something to complain about.  Something He didn’t get quite right and we want a do-over.  Friend, until we begin to thank Him and praise Him, even in the hard times, we will never be fully filled with joy. Praising and thanking Him  and naming each gift reminds us of how much He has blessed us and how much He loves us…and that we serve a good God Who can only give good things.  It may not look good on the outside, but there is good to come of it or from it.  If we let Him in and allow Him to work in those times, He will  make it all worth the ride.

In the story of these lepers, we see that Jesus healed each one physically.  But the one leper that came back actually received far more for his faith; for not only was he cured physically—he was cured spiritually.  His soul was saved and he received a real relationship with God.  Nine lepers received a partial healing.  A temporary blessing for their time on earth.  The grateful Samaritan received an eternal blessing.  All he did was give thanks—he praised Him for the healing.  See, they all had the faith to trust Jesus, come close to Him, be heard by Him, and ask for His mercy. But only one had the humility and the honesty and character to say, “Thank You.”

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Who are you today?  Are you one of the nine…who has just enough faith to ask something of the Father and take it for granted?  Are you one of the nine… who really didn’t care about a real relationship with Jesus, and left right after the blessing?  Or are you the Samaritan…that not only had enough faith to ask for complete healing, but returns time and time again to the One Who wants so much more for us and longs for a real relationship with us.

Friends, I pray that you begin to really thank Him for what He has done for you.  All the small ways that He loves you.  And yes, of course the biggest way—when He sent Jesus to come and go before us.  And then to pay the ultimate sacrifice with His life so that we may live.  He continues to give us grace and mercy even when we fail Him over and over again.

Do you know Him?  Today can be the day that everything changes.  Your life can truly be one of joy and blessings.  All you have to do is ask.  I encourage you to pray this prayer with me.

 ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥

 

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I need You to come into my life and change me.
I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died on the cross to pay for my sins.
Thank You for this free gift. Help me on this journey to seek You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

This Week…Hebrews 13:15

November 28, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips
that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
Hebrews 13:15

Oh, what encouragement I have received this week as I’ve read daily through the Seeking Him devotional!  (You, too?)  Ann, Ahmee, Clella, Cynda, and Tina have each written devotionals reminding me of the importance of offering my praise—a sacrifice of praise—to our wonderful Father God and drawing me closer to the One Who I do seek to praise and glorify!

In The Fruit Of Lips, Cynda took a good in-depth look at just what a ‘sacrifice of praise’ is and also asked a really good question…along with a few answers she found.

“But why are we compelled (Hebrews 13:15) to do it ‘constantly and at all times’?  Here are just a few of the reasons I found:

  • it glorifies God and pleases Him
  • (because of) His enduring love and goodness
  • because Jesus did
  • it is our shared inheritance

But, I think my favorite reason for giving thanks is to tell others and remind myself of all He has done in my life.“

~   ♥   ~

Then, Ann gave us some great reasons in Praise At All Times just WHY we praise God—

  • for what He has done (Psalm 9:11)
  • a four-fold reason— because we are “…a chosen people, a loyal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God….” (1 Peter 2:9)
  • and, as a commandment (Psalm 63:7)

She wrote, “So we are all to praise God; let us make a choice of doing so in the morning …in the afternoon …and in the evening time!”

~   ♥   ~

Clella shared a wonderful translation of Hebrews 13:15 with us in Proclaim Allegiance To His Name.  She wrote,

“The New Living Translation says it this way:

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God,
proclaiming our allegiance to His Name.

The phase ‘proclaiming our allegiance to His Name’ popped out at me.  It sounded so different than the other translations that refer to ‘the fruit of lips that confess His Name.’  I just had to do a little research to understand what this verse is really saying.

– to “confess” God’s Name is to declare, state, acknowledge His Name
– to “proclaim allegiance” is to announce publicly, or to declare something one considers important with due emphasis, which in this case would be one’s loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior.”

~   ♥   ~

In Verbal Sacrifice, Ahmee brought us back to the central element in Hebrews 13:15 of ‘sacrifice.’  She reminded us of reasons we have to offer our sacrifice of praise.

“Those days when you don’t feel like giving praise are the days when praise is a sacrifice. When we praise God even in our less-than-favorable moments we are saying to Him — and those around us —

  • God is our God
  • we trust Him with our lives
  • we trust in Someone bigger than us
  • we have the Almighty on our side to fight for us”

~   ♥   ~

And in Giving Thanks Tina encouraged us to remember how abundantly blessed we are here in the USA.

“The Pilgrims were so grateful to have a land to call their own and the freedom to worship God. After such a hard crossing and a hard harvest, they decided to celebrate and praise God for what they had. Let us do the same. Continuous praise should be on our lips and in our thoughts.

~   ♥   ~

So after being encouraged and admonished this week reading these devotionals each day, I am determined to be thankful to God not only on Thanksgiving Day but the next day…each day. We are to be thankful, joyful people today, tomorrow, and every day! Truly living in this manner—

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips
that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
Hebrews 13:15

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

Giving Thanks

November 27, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

By Him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
Hebrew 13:15

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

We are so blessed in America!  We have an abundance of food, entertainment, music, and yet…we seem to be so unhappy.  There is so much that God has given us as a nation to share and help others.  This Thanksgiving, let us remember those who are less fortunate.  Let us find ways, in the near future, to serve others and receive a great blessing, more than we could ever know.

Jesus is our great Intercessor.  We are to bring everything to Him in prayer and supplication.  If we ask what is godly and right in the name of Jesus—our Father will be able to grant our request.  As we begin our day let us remember to give thanks to God for all that we have, since it is not ours.  Everything we have has been granted to us.

The Pilgrims were so grateful to have a land to call their own and the freedom to worship God.  After such a hard crossing and a hard harvest, they decided to celebrate and praise God for what they had.  Let us do the same.  Continuous praise should be on our lips and in our thoughts.  Begin each new day with thanksgiving and praise and see what a difference it will make in your life and those around you.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, we come before You with much thanks and praise. You have given us everything we have. Forgive us when we are ungrateful.  Help us remember You are the Giver of everything. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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

Here’s My Thankful Heart

November 27, 2014 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 that same thought 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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