March 14, 2026

Should’ve Been Me

November 17, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’ve read the story
I’ve seen the movie
I give to charity
And tithe my ten percent
These I remember
But I so easily forget
All these years never heard it like this

It should’ve been me
It should’ve been us
Should’ve been there hanging on a cross
All of this shame
All of these scars
Should’ve been stains that were never washed
Why do I hide
Why do You try
Over and over and over again
I guess it just leaves me saying thank God
It leaves me saying thank God, thank God
For the should’ve been

I live a good life
I love a great wife
Our kids are beautiful
We got friends down the street
If I’m so thankful
Why do I easily forget
That You died for all of this

For this heart You changed
This soul You raised
My God for taking my place

 Written by Ben Calhoun  ~ Performed by  Citizens Way

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

“If I’m so thankful, why do I easily forget?’”

That question goes straight through my heart.  Oh, around Easter—I don’t forget. But the rest of the year…it can be hit or miss.  How could I ever forget it should have been me?  That my sins nailed Christ to the cross?  How could I possibly take that for granted?

This song is my reminder. It reminds me —

  • He was handed over to die because of our <MY> sins, and He was raised to life to make us <ME> right with God.  Romans 4:25 NLT
  • God proves His own love for us <ME> in that while we <I> were still sinners, Christ died for us <ME>!  Romans 5:8 HCSB
  • For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our <MY> sin, so that we <I> could be made right with God through Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
  • And He Himself bore our <MY> sins in His body on the cross, so that we <I> might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you <I> were healed.  1 Peter 2:24 NASB

Take a minute and read back through those Scriptures substituting your name for the <pronouns>.   Makes it much more real and personal when you do that, doesn’t it?

As I was typing this, I kept thinking about the first two verses of the “Roman Road” I learned growing up….

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23 HCSB

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

It really should have been me.  It REALLY should have been me!  The shame, the scars, the stains should have been mine.  How could I forget to thank God for the ‘should have been’?  Instead of being forgetful, let me make this my refrain:

“For this heart You changed
This soul You raised
My God for taking my place
It leaves me saying thank God
For the should’ve been”

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for Your never-ending mercy and grace.  Thank You for trying over and over again, especially when I become forgetful.  Most of all thank You for taking my place.  It should have been me. In Your precious name I pray – Amen, it is so!

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Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks, Repeat

November 16, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Rejoice always!
Pray constantly.
Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 HCSB

You know that feeling you get when you look at a Scripture passage and think “I already know this stuff!” and then God gives you a head slap and says ”Oh, yeah? Check this out!”…?

Yep, just happened to me.

This passage is one of the staples of Christian life.  We learn it at a young age.  It gets used in the hard times.  We offer it to others in times of distress.  It becomes a platitude and we cease to think about what it really means.

I have always looked at this passage as three separate verses— three different directives.  But today God showed me these are a cycle…meant be used together as stepping-stones.

Rejoice always

How on earth are we supposed to always have joy?  There are so many things to worry about or deal with.  Philippians 4:6 (NLT) gives us a clue:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Only through prayer are we able to rejoice always. As Charles Spurgeon puts it “The more praying, the more rejoicing.”  Joy is not based on our circumstances or emotions.  Circumstances and emotions change as quickly as the weather.  But God doesn’t!

Pray constantly

And just how are we supposed to do that?  Praying doesn’t mean we have to use our voice, be on our knees, or bow our heads.  Anytime is the right time for prayer.  Think of prayer as having an ongoing conversation with your best friend.  Prayer can change our perspective.  Things we see as trials or struggles may actually be bigger blessings in disguise.  Prayer gives God the opportunity to help us see life from His perspective. Colossians 4:2 (NASB) tells us:

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Prayer helps us to have an ‘attitude of gratitude.‘

 Give thanks in everything

Notice it doesn’t say FOR everything or in SOME things.  We don’t get to pick and choose what suits us.  We are to be thankful in everything.  I love this quote by Charles Spurgeon: “When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude.”

You may be thinking, “Well, this just takes the cake! How am I supposed to do all this?” Hebrews 13:15 (AMP) holds the key:

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.

Through Jesus we are able to do this. It is not we MUST do it because it is God’s will for us; it is we CAN do it because it is God’s will for us. That one little shift in perspective changes everything. It is cycle…a circle of behavior…that never ends.

Prayer changes our perspective and helps us find joy.  ➛
➛ Joy causes us to rejoice . ➛
➛ Rejoicing makes us thankful. ➛
➛ When we are thankful we offer up prayer and praise.  ➛
➛ Praying reveals and restores our joy…and round and round we go!

Now that is one endless circle I don’t mind being a part of!

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for revealing this passage to me in a new light.  Thank You helping me to see each part is a stepping-stone pointing the way to the next step.  I rejoice in You, for You have made me glad.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen – it is so!

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Nothing Compares

November 16, 2014 by

I’ve heard all the stories
I’ve seen all the signs
Witnessed all the glory
Tasted all that’s fine

Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You, Lord
Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You, Lord

I see all the people
Wasting all their time
Building up their riches
For a life that’s fine

I find myself just living for today
‘Cause I don’t know what
Tomorrow’s gonna bring
So no matter if I rise or fall
I’ll never be alone, oh no

Singer/Songwriters:   Johnny Mac Powell, Bradley B. C. Avery, Mark D. Lee, David Carr, Samuel Tai Anderson  ~ Third Day

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

As I listen to this song, I’m taken into His Word, in the Book of Psalms, chapter 40, verse 5:

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders You have done,
the things You planned for us. None can compare with You;
were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

Have you ever sat and just thought about all the Lord has done for you?  From the day you were born, and really before, He made plans for your life.  Full of blessings and hope for great things.  And look in the Bible, way before our time, how many times He saved His people from destruction.  And then there’s the most amazing gift that He gave us—Jesus.  And so many blessings in between.  I encourage you to read the Old Testament and just see all the ways He loved and all the ways He cared.

As the song says, I, too, have heard all the stories. I have witnessed miracle after miracle in my own life and the lives of others.  I have been blessed with food to eat,  shelter, clothing and so much more.  But without Him…none of those things matter. Knowing God and having a relationship with Him is all that is important.

We are on this earth such a short time in comparison with how long we will live with Him in eternity.  This is our temporary home.  Let me ask you a question: When you go on a trip to the beach or the mountains and you have rented a condo, do you unpack your stuff and maybe put them in the drawers (depending on how long you are planning on staying.)?  Do you use their plates and cups, and you sleep on the beds that are provided?  Even if the decor isn’t what you would have picked, you accept it. You don’t go to target and get new curtains and towels that match your taste, do you? You don’t take down the drapes and replace them with something more ‘you’, do you?  and you definitely don’t go out and buy new paint colors.  Why?  Because it is temporary!  You won’t live there permanently.

Friends, we won’t live here permanently either. Your real home is in Heaven with Jesus.  So yes, we do live in this world, but our focus should be on the things of Heaven—leading others to Him, giving to the needy, nurturing the children, and guiding them in the ways of  Jesus.

You can’t take your boats and planes and not even your savings account to Heaven. I’m not saying those things are wrong.  And, of course, you need money to live, but take your focus off of worldly possessions and look to Him to fulfill you.  He is all you need.  Things come and go.  Houses get foreclosed on and cars break down.  But God loves you…and He is forever!

Friends, we are only guaranteed this moment.  We have no idea what tomorrow holds.  So please, I encourage you to put Him first!  If you have strayed, run home to Him. He is waiting and will never turn you away!  And remember, in Him, you will never be alone!

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8

And the Lord will be King over all the earth.
On that day there will be one Lord—His name alone will be worshipped.
Zechariah 14:9

Oh!  What a day that will be!  But until then, seek Him, praise Him, give Him thanks for all He has done and will do in your lives and spread His love to the world.  Nothing will ever bring you more joy!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Let us pray…

Dear Lord, You are awesome and amazing.  You love us so much, even when we don’t love ourselves.  Even when we continue to place other things above You, You are patient and continue to bless us.  Open our eyes to those around us that need You.   Give us the courage to step out in Your name, and to lay up our treasure in Heaven with You.  Oh Lord, You are all that matters, You alone fulfill our every need.  Help us to live in today and to have our affairs in order, so that, when You do come and the trumpet sounds, we will be ready!  Thank You for being FOR us.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

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

I Will Stand In The Congregation

November 15, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
in the council of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.
His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.

Psalms 111:1-4AMP

I will stand in the congregation, and I will exalt You
Let the children of Your salvation lift Your praises, too
Hallelujah!

I will stand in the congregation, and I will praise Your name
With Your people in ev’ry nation I will shout this praise
Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!
You’re the only inspiration for my praise, O God
Hallelujah!

We will join as a congregation and we will exalt You
We will sing as all creation lifts the song anew
Hallelujah!

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CrockPot Black Bean Soup

November 14, 2014 by

I love my Crockpot. I have found, however, that almost all the recipes in my Crockpot cookbooks are for meat-based entrees. That’s all well and good, but there are some times you want something lighter, or vegetarian (or that isn’t made with a can of cream of chicken soup!) I ordered a book on Amazon.com, hoping to find something new and different, and I did: “Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker” by Robin Robertson.

The recipe for Black Bean Soup was easy to follow, and I had everything I needed for it already in my pantry and fridge – and I’m betting you do, too. This came out better than I expected!  The texture was both chunky and smooth after I used my immersion blender (you can put your soup in the blender or food processor and pulse lightly, or even use a potato masher to get your desired consistency.)
Serve this with chopped green onions, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, tortilla chips—any or all of the above.  Terrific!
 
(Sorry about the photo. It’s bean soup, and it’s delicious and nutritious, but there’s just no way to make it look glamorous in a photo!)
gchdanablackbeansoup
 
Black Bean Soup
(recipe courtesy “Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker” by Robin Robertson)
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 green (I used red) bell pepper, seeded and minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cans (15.5-ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, left undrained
  • 4 cups stock (I used less, probably closer to 3 cups)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic; cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a slow cooker, add the beans, tomatoes and their juice, stock, bay leaves, cumin, thyme, and cayenne, and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
  3. Remove and discard the bay leaves and taste to adjust the seaosonings.  Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, if using. To thicken, puree at least 2 cups or up to one half of the soup solids with an immersion blender used right in the CrockPot, or ladled into a regular blender or food processor and returned to the CrockPot.  Serve hot.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

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This Week…Psalms 111:1-4

November 14, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Over the next few weeks, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we will be focusing on gratitude, thankfulness, and giving thanks to Almighty God Who has so richly blessed us.  As the Scripture passage quoted in this beautiful graphic (made just for us!), we will be joyfully proclaiming our ‘thanksgiving to Him with psalms’.  Over the past few days Ahmee, Ann, Cynda, Laura, and Tina have focused their writing to bring our attention to the following verses.

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
In the council of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.
His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.
Psalms 111:1-4

Cynda asked us, in The Power of Public Praise to consider this: “Where would we be if David and the other authors of the Bible had not shared their praise with us?  Our knowledge of God would be severely limited.  What if friends or family that had seen God work in their lives—deliver them from trouble and despair—hadn’t shared their praise with us?  Our knowledge of His faithfulness would not be as deep.  If we do not share our praise publicly, we risk limiting someone else’s knowledge of God.”

~   ♥   ~

Tina gave us a wonderful acronym T.H.A.N.K.S. to help us remember things to be thankful to God for in Expressions of Thanks!

Throne

  • We are to bring our request to the throne of the One who can grant them.

Heaven

  • When we call upon the name of Jesus, He will take them to our Father as our Intercessor.

Answered

  • God will, in His wisdom, answer our prayers.

Noble

  • Our thoughts should always focus on what is good and noble. We are to train our thoughts on what is right and pure.

Knowledge

  • Our Father will give us a much greater knowledge of His Word. We will want to fill our minds and thoughts with His words, His goodness, His mercy, and His ways.

~   ♥   ~  

In Grateful for His Works, Ann encouraged us to be grateful.  She wrote, “Sisters, it is the will of God for us to be grateful for what He has done.  Each time we should show a grateful heart to the Lord.  Do not murmur when you face adversaries; think of His wondrous works and His care for you night and day.  In fact we need to be grateful and sing new songs to Him…the songs that will be like a sweet aroma to Him.”

~   ♥   ~  

Ahmee asked a really good question in Thankful for Life Itself:  “How often do you thank God for your life?”  She went on to remind us that in Psalm 139:14 David praised God for ‘…making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.’  And that we as human beings who are wonderfully complex.  We know to thank God for all good things.  Therefore, should we not stop to thank God for making us?”

~   ♥   ~

Laura shared with us her heart in her family’s loss of their little baby, along with a simple reminder of how thankful we are for the little ones in our individual families AND church families in Little Bundles of Thanks:  “…when we dedicate our children to the Lord we are thanking Him for sending us this little bundle of joy that brings love, pain, heartache, and everything else that goes along with it. In the company of other believers, we thank God for this little person and pledge…to teach the child to be a person who loves and honors God through worship and service.”

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Oh, Lord, what joy and privilege we have to come before You singing out our gratitude and thanks for all You have done and are doing for us, Your daughters!  May we reach out to those around us—whether we spend time with them each day or we just ‘happen’ to meet them in the grocery store—sharing with them how good, how kind, how gracious, how merciful, how generous, how compassionate, how forgiving, how wonderful You are!  With our whole hearts may we sing Your praise and give You honor and glory!  Thank You, dear Lord, thank You for Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy, Your love.  We love You and adore You…and we praise and thank You!  In Jesus’ name, amen.  HalleluJAH!   ♥

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Made Me Glad

November 14, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I will bless the Lord forever
And I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
And He has set my feet upon a rock

I will not be moved, and I’ll say of the Lord
You are my Shield, my Strength, my Portion
Deliverer, my Shelter, Strong Tower
My very present Help in time of need

Whom have I in Heaven but You
There’s none I desire beside You

Songwriter ~ Miriam Webster / Performed by Darlene Zschech and Hillsong United

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Do you practice blessing the Lord on a daily basis…or only when things are going well in your life?  God calls us to count our blessings on a daily basis.  There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for!

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

This does not mean that we are happy all the time or would choose our current circumstances.  When you are in the fire and walking through extremely difficult circumstances, it can be harder to look for the things in which to be thankful. However, God is always faithful in our circumstances when we choose to be thankful and look to Him and what He is doing in our lives.

When I focus on the yuck in my life, it doesn’t help me.  But when I focus on God and the blessings that are there in disguise, my perspective changes and I begin to see the things that He is doing.  I would much rather focus on what God is doing in my life than what the enemy is doing.  Then I can watch this promise unfold in my life.…

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

I love the wording in this Scripture!  The first part, ‘And we know…,’ means we must know and believe that God will work whatever we are walking through for ‘good’. The next part that speaks to me is that God says He uses ‘ALL things’ (not just some things) but ALL things for good.  Keep looking for the ‘good’ in whatever you are going through.  He Who has promised is faithful.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for He Who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are our Shield, our Strength and our Portion.  May we believe and receive it in Jesus name.  AMEN!!!

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

The Power of Public Praise

November 13, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Hallelujah! I will praise the Lord with all my heart
in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
The Lord’s works are great, studied by all who delight in them.
All that He does is splendid and majestic;
His righteousness endures forever.
He has caused His wonderful works to be remembered.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Psalms 111:1-4

This is the time of year we begin to focus on all we are thankful for.  We offer our praises and thanks to God.  Why?  Because it brings us great pleasure and comfort to remember all He has done for us.  Our praises delight us but most of all, it delights God and brings Him glory and honor.

But as I reread the first verse (in the above passage) I wondered why it is so important to praise Him publicly.  Being a bit of an introvert, the words ‘assembly’ and ‘congregation’ are disconcerting to me.

Hebrews 2:12 (AMP) states we are to “…declare Your [the Father’s] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You.”  And 1 Peter 2:9b (NLT) shows us our praise “…can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”  Praise reveals God’s wonderful works, His mercy and grace, to others.  Our praise reveals His works in our life.  Those works give others insight into the very character of God.

  • God’s works are magnificent – just like Him
  • God’s works are awe-inspiring – just like Him
  • God’s works are glorious & honorable – JUST LIKE HIM

Ok, you get the picture.  Just look at the list of characteristics given in this passage – great, splendid, righteous, wonderful, gracious, compassionate, glorious, majestic.  Those describe God.  Think about it this way:  Where would we be if David and the other authors of the Bible had not shared their praise with us?  Our knowledge of God would be severely limited.  What if friends or family that had seen God work in their lives—deliver them from trouble and despair—hadn’t shared their praise with us?  Our knowledge of His faithfulness would not be as deep.  If we do not share our praise publicly, we risk limiting someone else’s knowledge of God.

1 Corinthians 14:16 asks the following question:

Otherwise, if you bless and render thanks with [your] spirit
[thoroughly aroused by the Holy Spirit],
how can anyone in the position of an outsider
or he who is not gifted with [interpreting of unknown] tongues,
say the Amen to your thanksgiving,
since he does not know what you are saying?

This made me ask myself, ‘If I am thanking and praising God in private how will anyone else understand much less remember the wonderful works He has done in my life?’

2 Corinthians 9:13 (HCSB) sums it up this way:

They will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ,
and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others
through the proof provided by this service.

Others will glorify God when we share our praise with them.  Our public praise helps others see and understand the wonderful works of our faithful God.  That is why our public praise is important; because that’s really what it is all about, isn’t it?

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Father God, thank You for the wonderful works in my life.  Thank You for the times I have seen Your hand at work in my circumstances.  Please help me to be willing to share my praise with others so the can catch a glimpse of Your glory.  In Jesus’ name I ask this – Amen, it is so!

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

Thank You

November 13, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Just a little while longer I wanna pray
Can’t get You off my mind so I came to say
Thank You, Lord, just for loving me
Many times I do forget
Every need that You have met
Oh thank You, Lord, I know You’re showing me

You are there when I am down and out, You’re holding me
Your love is so amazing, oh it changed me

Here I am with all I have
Raise my hands to worship You
I wanna say thank You, oh thank You
For everything, for who You are
You cover me and touch my heart
I wanna say thank You

I could have died in my sin but You saved me
Didn’t have any hope at all
You gave me peace divine, strength to carry on, alright
I should have been the one to pay
But instead You took my place
Amazing grace, it’s more than just a song

Even though I don’t deserve Your love for me
You look beyond my fault and You showed me mercy

Here I am with all I have
Raise my hands to worship You
I wanna say thank You, oh thank You
For everything, for who You are
You cover me and touch my heart
I wanna say thank You

I wanna say thank You for the sun
Lord, we thank You for the rain

Oh Lord, I love You
Thank You that’s all that I can say
Thank You for the love You gave

 Singer/Songwriters: Joe Katina, John Katina, Sam Katina and Todd Collins

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

There is no doubt about God’s love…we are fully aware that there is oh-so-very-much we have received from our Father God for which the only response is a wholehearted ‘thank You!’  Sometimes do you find yourself, like me, saying, “Oh Lord, I love You…thank You…that’s all that I can say!”

All that we have received and will receive from Almighty God is due to His love. Because of His unconditional, faithful, steadfast love

  • we have eternal life

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

  • nothing can separate us from His love

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39

  • we have been saved

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….
Ephesians 2:4-5

  • Christ died for us

But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

  • His love brings us peace and quietness

The LORD your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

  • He cares for you

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time
He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6 and 7

  • His love is steadfast and faithful

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15

  • we have the ability to love because of His love

We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19 

Wow!  Quite an array of wonderful blessings are ours simply because God loves us! So, what should be our response to this awesome love? What do we have to give that could even begin to show how the gratitude that fills our hearts and how thankful we are? The Katina brothers offer a good suggestion in the chorus of this song…

Here I am with all I have, Raise my hands to worship You, I wanna say thank You

Yes…worship and offering of thanks by praising God!  Throughout the Scriptures, other men (such as David and Paul) who loved God also expressed their thankfulness for His incredible love through praise.

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.
Hebrews 13:15

I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness:
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 7:17

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:2

♪ ♬ ♪  Oh Lord, I love You  ♪ ♬ ♪
Thank You that’s all that I can say
♪ ♬ ♪  Thank You for the love You gave  ♪ ♬ ♪

As David prayed and worshipped along with the Israelites thanking Almighty God for His provision, may our prayer of gratitude and praise be the same:

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty
and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as Head over all.
Wealth and honor come from You; You are the Ruler of all things.
In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name.
2 Chronicles 29:11-13

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

Expressions of Thanks

November 12, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is His work, and His righteousness endures forever.
He has caused His wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
Psalms 111:1-4

Thank:  to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment

In the Southern culture, we are taught from the crib to say ‘thank you’.  If you did not say thank you growing up you were quickly reminded to say it.  How much more should we say it to our Heavenly Father.  Without Him, we would have nothing.

T-hrone
We are to bring our request to the throne of the One who can grant them.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

H-eaven
In Heaven, when we call upon the name of Jesus, He will take them to our Father as our Intercessor.

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:27

A-nswered
God will, in His wisdom, answer our prayers. Not always the way we want, but as our Father, Who knows best, does.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also;
and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:12-14

N-oble
From Scripture our thoughts should always focus on what is good and noble. We are to train our thoughts on what is right and pure. Not dwell in the negatives of our lives. When we search and find the light, we will feel lighter and free!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

K-nowledge
As we begin to train our thoughts …away from the negative and begin to go to the positive… our Father will give us a much greater knowledge of His Word.  We will want to fill our minds and thoughts with His words, His goodness, His mercy, and His ways.

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness,
Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for Your blessings.  Thank You for giving me the opportunity to share my heart with others.  Thank You for being You and for standing with me.  Jesus, thank You for being my Intercessor.  Holy Spirit, thank You for Your touches that bring me back to You.  Continue to give me strength when the way becomes weary.  Help me keep my focus on Your light!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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