May 4, 2026

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

March 9, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent. For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words. ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him Devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 6—the Beatitudes. Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.” To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’ Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are! Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions, and we pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be preparing your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection! ✞ ♥

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 5:3

This verse is one of the beatitudes which Jesus delivered as part of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount.”  This sermon is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7.

The word “blessed” here also means “happy” (Greek: makarios).  Each one of the Beatitudes starts with this affirmation that those who fulfill the description are blessed, or have a sense of deep joy and satisfaction (or, at least, they should).  To all appearances, these people should not be happy at all—they are ‘poor in spirit’—and should, in fact, be angry and upset.  But Jesus is pointing to a deeper joy that comes from being one of His people while enduring these situations (note in verse 2 that Jesus is addressing “His disciples”).

I think Jesus is drawing a parallel here between being physically poor and being spiritually poor.  The physically poor have no resources at all.  They don’t have a kingdom, perhaps even barely have a place to call home, and, some food on the table. Dire economic circumstances are not usually a time for joy and celebration.  Likewise, spiritual poverty means that you have nothing spiritually of any worth. You have nothing to offer God that would make Him consider you worthy of His attention, or of His blessing.

But Jesus says that those who are in this spiritual condition ARE recipients of the “Kingdom of Heaven.”  This is like saying that the physically poor actually own an entire realm—riches, land, and titles beyond comprehension.  I think by this He intends that those who are lacking in spiritual resources actually have at their disposal all the resources of Heaven.  Their spiritual cup actually overflows, and they should feel rich.

But I don’t think that’s ALL that is meant.  From other places where Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven, I believe this is shorthand for the Church: a realm occupied by those who trust in Christ; one that is as yet invisible, but will one day be revealed.

I think we should also consider “poor in spirit” to be the condition that Jesus looks for in those who would come to Him. Not only are Jesus’ followers those who lack spiritual worth in themselves, but they then are completely reliant upon God for their spiritual well-being. Because we recognize our spiritual poverty, we look to Christ to fulfill our needs. We lean on Him alone to supply us with all that makes us worthy to receive the riches of the blessings of God’s Kingdom.

Those who are in Christ, and are “poor in spirit” should rejoice, therefore, that we have a Savior and Redeemer through whom we have peace with God, and by whom we are spiritually worthy to stand in the presence of God and take our place in His Kingdom.

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Blessed Father, we thank You for You speak to us in a way we cannot comprehend. You are a Faithful God. Bless us as we continue meditating on Your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen!!

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Forever — Kari Jobe

March 8, 2014 by
psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse was broken

One final breath He gave
As Heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken

The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated

Forever,  He is glorified
Forever,  He is lifted high
Forever,  He is risen
He is alive
He is alive

We sing Hallelujah!  The Lamb has overcome!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Can you imagine what it was like to watch Jesus die that dark, sad day…the day that Jesus and God were separated and our sin died with Him?  His mother looked on and so did many others who loved the Son of God, Son of Man.  Wasn’t it just last night that He broke bread with His disciples and gave thanks for it?  When He poured the wine and drank with them?  He knew what the next day held.  And one of His own had betrayed Him.

That night He prayed in the garden as His disciples slept peacefully and He begged for His life, But God!  His plan was to be carried out and Jesus was to be crucified on the Cross.  His body was broken and His blood was poured out so we could live eternal life with Him in Heaven.  God Himself, with every nail that was hammered into His hands and feet, cried as only a father would as His only Son became the Savior of the world.

After His death, they laid His dead body in the tomb and rolled a stone in front of it.  No man could move it.  Three days passed and on the morning of the third day, He was no longer there.  He had risen from the dead and He was alive!  The earth shook fiercely and the stone rolled away and Jesus watched from above.  The veil was torn and we now have access to God the Father, through Jesus the Son.  Hallelujah, He has risen! We are no longer dead to sin, but live alive with Jesus, forever!

So as we enter into this time of Lent and Easter, may we remember the sacrifice that He made with His life and that even though He knew this would happen, He still gave thanks to God.  Thanksgiving always precedes the miracle and isn’t His resurrection the biggest miracle of all?  He loves you with an everlasting love—a forever love.  As you listen and meditate on these words today, let His love flow all over you and and let it flow through you.  For you are bought with the highest price of all—Jesus Christ!

 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let us pray: Dearest Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the sacrifice of Your only Son.  Thank You for tearing the veil and allowing us to come straight to You.  You saved us from our sins and sometimes we take this for granted.  Help us to never forget and to follow Jesus’s example of giving thanks even in the hardest of times.  And for those who don’t know You, help us to be the witnesses we need to be and spread Your love that You so freely give.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus name, amen.

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Praising, Teaching, and Being Observant

March 7, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

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 106:1-2

God is good.  God is great.  God is infinite.  God is merciful.  God is love.  God is kindness. The adjectives can go on and on.  God is many things, and it is hard to put into words just how great He is.  Yet, the writers of the Bible were able to do it and so should we. Any Christian should be able to voice the many wonderful things that make up God’s everlasting Being.

The Lord has been performing mighty deeds since the beginning, and He continues to do them today.  We only have to be observant to see them.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:20

By being observant, we can see all the mighty works of God on a daily basis.  God commands us to teach each others how to observe all things.  He is with us and sees what we see. He knows what we think.  He has been this way since the beginning of time and He will be with us through the end of the world.  He never leaves us, and we can see it every day.

We should sing praises to God with every breath and in everything we do. We are the ones that can put into words the wonderful and miraculous things that God does.  We are not supposed to do it just on Sundays, but we are supposed to sing praise to God every day.  God gives us multiple blessings every breath we take.  We should give God praise every second that we can.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mighty power, love, mercy, goodness, and all the other adjectives that we can think of.  You are with us always.  Please give us the strength to get through the days and allow us to praise You with you every breath.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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CHRISTLife — FORTY: Embracing A Glorious Future

March 7, 2014 by

CLday40gloriousfuture

What an opportunity, privilege, and awakening we have experienced in the last 39 days of this study.  We have been made aware again, or perhaps for the first time, that God created us because He loves us.  He created us on purpose to have a relationship and fellowship with Him.  We didn’t come crawling out of some swampland.  We came out of His heart.

We discovered that the ideal mirror to look into is not our bathroom mirror but the mirror of God’s Word, which is His Truth and His Love.  It is the “reliable, unchangeable grounds for accepting ourselves.” (Ruth Myers)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

~~ * ~~

Yes, we each came into this study with images of ourselves influenced by our past; many of those were negative experiences, failures, and hurts.  But God chose this time, this study, and each of us to destroy those images and replace them with His image of us from His Word, transforming our minds to line up with His mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern  of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

~~ * ~~

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

~~ * ~~

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

~~ * ~~

Through this study we have begun to recognize and accept God’s description of us, His followers.  We “have chosen the way of Truth” (Psalm 119:30, NKJV).  I flipped back through the book, CHRISTLife, and was blessed to read again what God calls us:

created, child of God, daughter, called, chosen, loved, saved, sanctified, desired, beloved’s, bride, quilt-free, blessed, clean, redeemed, forgiven, righteous, purified, justified, alive, alert, new, holy, victorious, obedient, Christ-like, delivered, united, fruitful, transformed, temple, priest(ess), filled, complete, receiver, empowered, strong, enlightened, belong, accepted, approved, friend, citizen, servant, worshiper, worthy, delighted in, favored, honored, royal, nurtured, satisfied, secure, treasured, competent, beautiful, bold, confident, overcomer, anointed, purposeful, witness…and more!

Wow!  After reading those I’m breaking out into a little song and dance—what about you!?  Those affirmations fill me with hope, and confidence for now and for my future. As Ruth Myers said, “In God’s unlimited view, He sees our increasing glory as His Spirit transforms us into finished works of art.”

…Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

~~ * ~~

Ladies, these “works of art” (us!) weren’t created to hang on some museum wall and gather dust.  We weren’t even created to walk this dusty earth forever.  Oh no, God has created us for purpose: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Our hope will be complete when we meet Jesus face to face (Isaiah 33:17).   Our future will be for all eternity, worshiping and serving in the presence of our King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 1:5-6).

Time after time in the Scriptures, God shares His desire and plan for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  Here are just a few passages for you to look up as you study today:

John 3:14-17, 17:2-3
Psalm 16:11
Romans 6:22-23
1 Timothy 6:12
Titus 1:2, 3:4-7
1 John 1:2, 2:25
Jude 1:21
Revelation 3:5

Ecclesiastes 3:11 even tells us that He has set eternity in the hearts of men, even though we can’t fathom everything He has done for us.  God loves us, God has chosen us, God planned from before time began for us to spend eternity with Him.  That desire is in His heart, and He placed it in our hearts—and Jesus went to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-4).

If you have given your heart to Jesus, then you have everything you need to spend a glorious future in the very presence of our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It’s time to embrace your true and deepest identity, for “God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).   “I AM Who God Says I Am!”

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

~~ * ~~     ~~ * ~~     ~~ * ~~

Dear Lord, we have completed the study of this book, but I pray that we never stop studying from Your Book what You have to say to us and about us.  Thank You for loving us and choosing us to be Your children so that we can spend both here and in Heaven a glorious future with You.  I pray that You, the God of peace, will sanctify each lady in this study through and through.  May their whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The One who “…calls each of us is faithful, and He will do it”(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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CHRISTLife — ThirtyNine: Purposeful

March 6, 2014 by

cl purposeful

We each have the very same purpose that Jesus had when He walked this earth.  His purpose—to love. Our purpose—to love.

• God purposed to love the world by giving His Son.

Jesus was sent to show God’s love, to be God’s love, to give God’s love.  He was the epitome and the manifestation of His Father’s love.

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

• Jesus purposed to love by revealing God’s love.

Immediately before He allowed Himself to be arrested, and knowing that He would be interrogated, tortured, crucified, and ultimately give His life, Jesus prayed this prayer.

Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me]
may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory,
which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me];
for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known You and has failed
to recognize You and has never acknowledged You, I have known You [continually];
and these men understand and know that You have sent Me.
I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character
and Your very Self, and I will continue to make [You] known,
that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them
[felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them.
John 17:24-26

• Jesus purposed to love by giving up His life.

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

• Our purpose is to show God’s love by giving of ourselves.

Jesus taught a great lesson (Luke 10) about love in the parable about the Good Samaritan.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”

Jesus taught His disciples and other followers numerous times about love and the immense importance of it. There is much to glean and learn in Jesus’ lesson.  In this account, He gave a graphic example of what love DID NOT look like…and how love DID look.  And then He said,

“Go and do the same.”
Verse 37

The love that the Samaritan showed for the stranger laying on the side of the road was purposeful…intentional…took effort.  All love should be the same.

• Not only do we have the same purpose……but we have the same ability.  With Christ in our hearts, we can know this love.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.
God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence
in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
1 John 4:16 and 17

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself
unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him,
he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love;
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:4-5, 10-11

I pray that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-20

Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
1 John 4:11

Each of us is a person with one life of purpose to live along with the choice to love.
By God’s love and grace we have been given the ability to purposefully live out this high calling.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

And NOW here is some encouragement from Kim
along with the final  page for her beautiful inner identity album!

CLiiakim030614

I love how Mrs. Myers writes: “We are not qualified from a human viewpoint, for we lack many longed-for qualities, abilities, talents. Yet from Gods viewpoint we are qualified. God does not call the qualified.”   He qualifies the called…so let your light shine before men so that your Father in Heaven may be glorified.

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Mercy

March 6, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the LORD!
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?
Psalms 106:1-2

According to the Random House Dictionary, the word mercy is defined as follows:

mer•cy

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner.
2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing: an adversary wholly without mercy.
3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.
4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.
5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing: It was just mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.

I know what the Biblical concept of mercy is.  But, I wanted to know the actual definition of the word—compassion, kindness, favor, blessing.  This is what God gives us despite our actions, despite or lack of actually earning these things from Him.  We’re instructed to give thanks because of the fact that we have not earned them, and not only does He bestow the blessing of mercy on us but “His mercy endures Forever!” It isn’t a one-time occurrence, but forever.

I tried to search and see how many times the word mercy was used in the bible, my search came up with anywhere between 170 and 262; so, basically, a lot.  I didn’t find the actual count, but I did find something interesting.  The word mercy is often paired with another word—whether it is love, truth, or grace—but mercy is usually not found alone.  My search showed me something else as well (similar to not being able to find the total number of times mercy is found in the Bible)—I wouldn’t ever be able to tell someone how many times I have seen God’s mercy in my life.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?

I couldn’t even began to try.  There are hundreds, even thousands, of times where He has bestowed His mercy on my life and on the lives of my friends and family.  Trying to think of the number overwhelms me, it shows just how much He loves me…how MUCH He loves us.  It sometimes worries me that I won’t have an answer if I’m asked what God has done for me—there is so much that I wonder if I would know where to start.   So I am going to try something, not just when someone asks, but I am going to start today…now.  I am going to thank God for what he has done today—for waking me up, for making sure there is a roof over my head, for life, mine and the lives of my family, for a sound mind, for a healthy body.

I want to make an intentional effort to thank the Lord…to acknowledge Him for the countless acts of mercy I have seen in my life.

Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, I don’t even know where to start when it comes to saying thank You, there is no way I could address everything You have done for me, but I want to be intentional in thanking You daily for what You do for me, for my family.  Your mercy is very present in our lives, and for this I thank you.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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How to Be S.M.A.R.T With Your Exercise

March 5, 2014 by

bikeThis is about the time, according to the statistics, that New Year Resolutions come to an end.  How are you doing with the goals you set at the beginning of the year?

If you started the year with a goal to exercise, but seem to be falling short, I want to show you how to be S.M.A.R.T. with your exercise to achieve your goals.

Be SPECIFIC

Was your ambition simply to start exercising? You may find it easier to follow if you made it a little more specific.

For example:

  • I will exercise for 30 minutes three days a week.

Make it MEASUREABLE

Have you said, “I am going to take better care of myself” or “I am going to spend more time with God.”

The question is: how will you know?  Write out your goals so that you can measure the outcome.

For example:

  • I will be taking better care of myself, by attending one yoga class a  week
  • I will have quiet time with God by getting up 30 minutes earlier than my normal routine 3 days a week

Make Them ACTION Oriented

To get results, determine what actions or behaviors you need to take to achieve your goal. I find I spend the majority of time here with most of my clients. How you will do it is just as important as setting the actual goal.

For example:

  • To meet my goal of exercising 3 times a week, I will set out my clothes the night before (action).

Your actions and behaviors will set you up to achieve results

Be REALISTIC

If making time for exercise has been a challenge in the past, having a goal to now exercise five days a week may be unrealistic.  Start off with a number you feel is doable and realistic for you such as three times instead of five times a week.

Be TIME Bound

Without setting a date of completion, it is easy to procrastinate. Giving yourself a specific time that you want to have it done can keep you motivated to achieve it.

For example:

  • I will run/walk a 5K by June 1

If you have lost your motivation, don’t give up.  Revaluate and be S.M.A.R.T. with your exercise then submit it to the Lord.

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Action Oriented
  • Realistic
  • Time Bound

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do; and your plans will succeed.”
Proverbs 16:3

In Good Health,

Crystal

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God’s Goodness

March 5, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare His praise?
Psalms 106:1-2

I love the Lord for His love endures forever. In verse 2 of Psalm 106, the psalmist had come to a point of failing to understand the manner of love the Lord has for His people.

Why all that love? It is because He is good.

The goodness of God endureth continually
Psalm 52:1

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5

The “goodness” of God refers to the perfection of His nature.  There is such an absolute perfection in God’s nature and being that nothing is wanting in it or defective in it; and nothing can be added to it to make it better.

He is originally good —good of Himself—which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God.  He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself.  The creature’s good is a super-added quality, but the goodness of God—it is His essence.  He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a little drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean or gathering together of good.  He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is.

The goodness of God appeared most illustriously when He sent forth His Son “…made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might received the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4, 5). Then it was that multitude of the heavenly host praising their Maker and said, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good-will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

The goodness of God is the life of the believer’s trust. It is this excellency in God which most appeals to our hearts. Because His goodness endures forever, we ought never to be discouraged.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7

When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord, because He is good.  And when we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless Him because He is good.  We must never tolerate even an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain—that Jehovah is good; His dispensations may vary, but His nature is always the same.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Father, we thank You for Your goodness.  The love that You show us is so great that we always give You honor.  May You receive all the praise and honor in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!!

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The Struggle — Victory

March 5, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~
There’s a wreckage, there’s a fire; there’s a weakness in my love
There’s a hunger I can’t control
Lord, I falter and I fall down then I hold on to chains You broke
When You came and saved my soul…saved my soul
Hallelujah! we are free to struggle
 We’re not struggling to be free
Your blood bought and makes us children
Children, drop your chains and sing
So, why, Lord, do I still fail, do I wear thin?
Why do I still give in to temptation?
On my own, I am bankrupt, I don’t trust You or take You at Your Word
What You’ve promised, yeah 
Hallelujah, Death is overcome and we are breathing
Hallelujah, Our stone hearts become flesh that’s beating
Hallelujah, Chains have been undone and we are singing
Hallelujah, The fire has begun. Can you feel it?

~  Performed by Tenth Avenue North  ~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Do we ever struggle some days!  Sometimes it may be a struggle to get out of bed, or to complete a task at work, or even to complete a task at home.  When we find ourselves at our wits’ end because we have been trying to do everything on our own, it is time to stop, pray, and give it to the only One that can help us through—God.
I know, that is such an easy answer.  But you know what, He IS the answer.  Yes, we are to do what we are designed to do.  But if we start whatever task that is laid before us by preparing our hearts and asking for His help on the front end—it will go so much smoother <and less making faces or sighing when we just want to throw something, even if it is the cat or child…ha, ha!>
Try for the next few days to start any thing you do with a prayer of thanksgiving and entreaty.  You will be surprised at how less stressful the project can go!
Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , ,

CHRISTLife — ThirtyEight: Bold and Confident

March 5, 2014 by

cl bold and confidentGod chose us.  He also chose us to do His good works here on earth, as we await His return.  And the most amazing thing about this is He seems to choose the most unlikely and unqualified people to carry out His most important works.

Do you know this to be true? And often the response to His calling is, “Are You sure, God? Me? Why?”  Unintentionally we limit Him by what we think we can and cannot do.  For what’s impossible to us is possible with God.  We just have to believe that He has called us and He has a mission for us to spread His Word to the world.

Feeling unqualified?  When He calls, He equips and qualifies us to do that which we so feel we aren’t qualified to do.  Let’s go to His Word and look at some of those He called…and their response to Him.  And how different the world would be if they had felt they couldn’t do it!

God calls Moses:

Moses was 80 years old when he was sent to free the Israelites from Pharaoh.  His response was something like, “Me? I can’t even speak well. Do You really think anyone would even listen to me?”  When Moses finally quit making excuses and obeyed, the way was paved by God through the Red Sea, across a desert and, finally, to the entrance of the Promised Land.  All along the way, God was providing food and shelter and water for these people who trusted Moses with their lives.

Have you ever thought about what could have happened if Moses has said no?

God calls Jeremiah:

Jeremiah was a teenager at the time that God sent him to deliver news to the Jewish people.  Because He was so young, he thought that no one would take him seriously.  But God did.  He said in Jeremiah 1:5,”Before you were born I set you apart.”  For 24 years, Jeremiah was at God’s call, and all he did was write books filled with God’s words. The first one was destroyed and Jeremiah was imprisoned. His feet were in chains and he was thrown into a pit. But God sent rescuers and made a way for all His messages to be delivered.

God calls Gideon:

Last one on my list today is Gideon—and my favorite, I will have to say!  God called him His mighty warrior!  He told him to save His people who were being attacked constantly by their enemies.  He also wanted Gideon to destroy the idol, Baal.  But Gideon, who was working in a wine press, hiding in fear from his enemies, had many excuses as to why he wasn’t God’s man.  He said that he was a coward and how could God use him to fight for His people?  Fast forward…God fully equipped Gideon to do so much more.  He used his weakness to prove God’s strength.

See?  You are ready for any task that God has laid in front of you.  You may not even know what you are called to do but know this—you are called to do great things!  And He will make sure you have everything you need to complete His will.  God calls you to serve with what you have and just as you are.  All you have to do is trust and believe Him,  and love Him enough to do what He says.

  • Matthew 14:22  If you love Me, then look at me. Keep your eyes on me.
  • Matthew 16:4     If you love Me, follow me.
  • Luke 10:37          If you love Me, go and do likewise.
  • John 21:15-17    If you love Me, feed My sheep…tend My lambs.

And remember, there is only one that wants to see you fail. There is an enemy who wants to fill you with fear and lies and keep you silent so you won’t do the Lord’s work. But God did not give you a spirit of fear, “…but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

He gives you courage.  Courage is what will help you persevere.  And it’s God’s power that resides in you and gives you the confidence you need to go on and accomplish with victory the will of your Father in Heaven.  The Lord is your Shepherd, you shall not want for…anything!

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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